The Last Pack
by StarLion
Summary: Sora and friends visited a strange town a while ago, and he hasn't been the same since. Now he explains himself and what happened to him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Yes, in keeping with my best traditions of starting yet another story when I've got others to work on, I give you yet another story!

You know the drill, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

This time, I'm not going to explain anything. This is because I'm trying, for the first time, to write this in 1st person perspective. My previous attempts never made it online because, well, they sucked.  
So once you're past the prologue, I'll leave Sora to explain himself.

Enjoy.

* * *

_Prologue_

* * *

A lone wolf bounded through the dark, damp mist of the forest, never straying from the unseen path, never running into anything. It's fur was a peculiar mix of shades and hues even for a wolf. It was primarily a light brown, but the legs were darker than the rest. The feet were lighter in colour, a light brown that was almost yellow. A small patch on the underbelly was more red in hue.  
It turned sharply at a cliff edge, running along it's precipice until it reached a crag that jutted out over the vast forest below. Then it sat on it's haunches and waited, staring into the cloudy skies with piercing blue eyes.  
Hanging down around it's neck was a small, silvery crown on a chain. It gleamed as the clouds parted to show the bright full moon, attracting the wolf's attention momentarily.  
When the clouds fully parted, showing the moon in her fullness, the wolf bowed it's head and began to growl for several moments, then lifted it's muzzle with a great howl, filled with the aching longing of missed friends.  
As the howl rang out over the leagues of woodland, other crags flashed into existence, appearing to float in the air with a bright white light. There were four of them, each one with another wolf sat on it's haunches, muzzle lifted in the howl.  
The real wolf finished his howl, followed by each of the other four wolves in turn from it's left around until they all fell silent.  
The four wolves on the crags of light looked to the real one expectantly. Then once more it bowed it's head, began to growl, and let out another great howl. The other wolves did the same in unison, their howls ringing out over the expanses between them and beyond, singing their ancient song in ritual just as old.  
The light from each of the other crags began to aim outwards toward each other, crossing and recrossing until every crag had a beam of light connecting it to every other.  
A new beam of light from the gentle light of the moon's countenance headed down as they continued to howl, pausing at the center of the design made from light. The beam faded down until it was only a shape of light, which formed into a great white wolf with red eyes, seemingly sat on the air as if it was as solid as the crags each of the other wolves sat upon.  
The wolves finished their song, and sat watching the white wolf. It looked to each wolf in turn, starting and finishing with the lone wolf on the real crag. They conversed in a moment of unspoken words, then the white wolf led them into the final part of the ancient ritual, lifting it's muzzle in a howl that seemed to resonate with the howls of a thousand wolves.  
The other four wolves joined the song, then finally the one that had started the ritual joined them.  
When it finished it's howl, the other wolves were gone. It got up and turned sharply, ready to leave again, but paused and glanced back again. For a few moments, it seemed to be considering something. Eventually it turned back and retraced it's journey through the forest until it cleared into a great plain with a town in the distance.  
It ran on into the town, then through the streets and alleyways until it reached a specific house.  
Some conveniently arranged crates on one side provided easy access to the open upstairs window. It closed the window with some difficulty then jumped up onto the bed and curled up. A quick glance around the room with it's eyes and a few twitches from it's nose and it decided it was safe to get some sleep.  
The night went on, and all unaware of the wolf in their midst, the other people rested safe and easy in their beds. The wolf slept too, but it did not come easy. Safety would be more of a concern to anyone who tried to bother it.  
The moon continued her course, now setting in the night-time sky. As she did so, the wolf seemed to blur and shift. When she was no longer in sight it faded leaving a human boy in a troubled sleep sprawled on the bedsheets. He had untidy brown hair and had a silver crown on a chain around his neck. He wore a blue and red shirt, a black jacket and matching pants that reached only past his knees.  
Almost subconsciously, he kicked off the black and yellow shoes in his sleep and pulled the covers over him.

* * *

I suppose I should explain myself to someone. I can't explain it to anyone directly because there's restrictions hanging over my head. Writing it down, for some reason, works around those restrictions as long as I don't try to hand it to someone. People have to find it by their own means.  
So if you're reading this, I guess I should warn you – expect a story of troubles, loss and the discoveries I made along the way. They're far from normal.  
Anyone who knows me will have noticed I'm not quite the same any more. I'm more defensive and protective, slower to anger, and I don't rush into things any longer.  
Anyone who knows my friends will also know that once a month, I make an excuse to be alone, and inevitably if you come looking for me on that night, you'll find I've locked myself in my room – or that if you manage to look into my room on those nights, I'm either missing, or there's a wolf there that will persuade you to leave again, but not harm you.  
Think you know what happened to me yet? Think again.

This all started last year, when Kairi insisted on coming with us to have a look at a town. Except this town wasn't normal. There was talk about it's residents all going missing, yet all appeared again the day after – acting for all the world as if nothing had ever happened.  
Naturally, I thought something fishy was up, so we went to find out what.  
The town was on the edge of a huge forest, I remember that much. Mostly because I visit there often, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  
It's a rustic little town, only four main roads that meet in a crossroads in the middle. All the buildings there are made from wood because there's no stone around, and they all have thatched roofs and huge gardens. Those gardens were always well maintained. I never did find out the name of the town though.  
When we arrived though, the town was once again deserted, and not a soul in sight. Kairi said it looked like a ghost town. I guess it bothered her a bit.  
The town may have been deserted, but there was no sign of a fight, no sign of forced migration, nothing. It was as if they'd just vanished.  
It was late by the time we'd finished checking it out. Too late to go back again and make it back to somewhere comfortable to stay, and Kairi had been complaining about the rough sleeping. I guess she wasn't used to sleeping on the road like we were.  
Donald was the one who suggested we take refuge in the sole hotel in the town. Like everything else, it was made from wood and thatch, but it was, of course, larger than any other building.  
We found a note had been left on the reception desk saying to sign ourselves in, take the keys to a room and someone would be here in the morning.  
There were only single rooms, and fairly small ones at that, so we took one each. Goofy noted the place was unusual – the stairs had a shallower depth than normal, and the doors had the locks and handles lower down. They even had a flap in the bottom, as if a dog or something would come through. I didn't understand why it was like that at the time, but I know better now.  
It was during the night that I had the first suggestion of what was going on, or what was going to happen.  
Normally I don't sleep lightly, so nothing wakes me up. Something about this place made me wake up when the flap in the door to my room rattled. All I could tell you then was that I had a feeling there was something there.  
"Don't be alarmed," a voice told me. "I intend you no harm."  
"Who's there?" I asked the stranger.  
"That is not important. You are the one men call Sora?" An odd way to say it.  
"That's me."  
"We need your help. Without you we will die out."  
"What's the problem?"  
"I cannot tell you. You are an outsider."  
Now call me picky, but if you're going to ask for help, you could at least be ready to tell them _something –_ outsider or not.  
"You must become one of us before we can tell you," he continued. "But in doing so you must be ready to set some parts of your life aside"  
"What parts? Why?"  
"Your friends – only temporarily. If you are with us we will show you how to live among them again."  
"Can't they help me?"  
"No. Only you."  
"What if I don't want to just leave them behind?"  
"We are patient Sora, but we do not have much time. If it becomes necessary, I regret that we will have to take action whether it is your choice or not."  
Threats? They knew who I was at least – that should give any sensible person second thoughts about that, right?  
I didn't say anything to him after that. I didn't like the implications of his statement.  
"If you should choose to change your mind, talk to the chief in the morning."  
"What if I want to know more?"  
"Talk to the chief," the stranger said. By this time, my eyes had started to adjust to the darkness. I could make out a figure by the door, low to the ground. "I can say no more."  
He drew lower to the ground and slunk through the flap in the door.  
I lay back and tried to get some more sleep, thinking about this. If I did sleep that night, it was a troubled sleep and I don't remember it. I've grown used to having a troubled night by now though. It's almost a regular occurrence.  
I finally decided I'd help them in the morning, but I wouldn't let them take me away from my friends the way they wanted. I turned out to be wrong on that score.


	2. Chapter 2

Looking back on what happened, I can see that the entire thing was carefully rigged just to bring me there. I can't blame them – they had good reasons, even if I didn't understand them at first.  
They'd existed for years without ever letting anyone found out, but when they needed someone to save them and turned to me, they deliberately broke that. They even specifically sought me out and had me go to their village to ensure they'd get me.  
Well, now they had me. Unlike usual, I got up early the day after that visitation. I spent most of the morning in the lobby thinking over what the stranger had said while I waited for the others.  
I was adamant about one thing – I would not let them do whatever it is they wanted to do to me, even if it meant coming up against them.  
It seemed clear though that their Chief was the one to talk to. If the visitor was any indication, none of the other residents would talk about or admit it.  
Kairi told us she wasn't feeling well, so Goofy stayed with her while I went out with Donald. I filled him in on what had happened last night.  
"Do you really trust him? He could have been anyone."  
"I don't think he'd lie to me, Donald."  
"You don't even know him."  
"I know. Call it a hunch."  
"So what now?"  
"We talk to their chief, of course."  
"You don't even know where to look."  
I winked at him and stopped a passer-by. "Excuse me. I'm looking for your chief?"  
"At the end of this road, on the left," she told me. "It's the one with the apple tree. You can't miss it."  
"Thanks."  
"It is no trouble for you, Sora," she replied, ducking her head slightly and then leaving.  
"How did she know your name?" Donald mirrored my thoughts. The visitor had evidently let the other locals know about me, it seemed.  
"Probably overheard someone talking about me," I shrugged and headed down to see the chief.  
Donald shook his head. He's never really trusted coincidences like that.  
The chief turned out to be a tall man with grey hair, up a ladder in the apple tree. Despite his hair, he wasn't actually all that old. He had a lean but well built frame, a sharp, almost fierce expression, and looked like he could outrun a cheetah, and wrestle an elephant and win.  
"Have an apple," he called down as we approached, seemingly knowing we were there. I caught mine, but Donald fell over trying to catch his.  
"You're the chief."  
"And you're Sora. You're a young one, aren't you?"  
"Not that young... I want to know what's up with that guy who visited me last night."  
"Kadach. I asked him do visit you. In the circumstances, it would be inappropriate for me to come to you directly."  
"Yeah, but why?"  
"Because we need you, Sora." I said nothing, waiting for him to say more. He shook his head and continued, "All I can tell you is that we're in danger, and have no one else to turn to. No more."  
"I can't help you if you don't tell me what the problem is."  
"Kadach already explained that to you."  
"I won't do it."  
"Then you condemn us to die," he told me, shaking his head sadly. "Good day to you Sora. You know where to find me if you should change your mind."  
"I'm not going to change my mind."  
"Sora, wait a moment," he called me back. "Kadach told you something else too."  
"He threatened to go ahead with whatever it is you want to do if I didn't do it."  
"That's not what he meant. I told him to tell you that if the risk to us became too great, we may have no choice but to insist, but that we would regret having to do so."  
"Just you try it, and see what happens."  
"No, Sora. If you are so set against it that you're willing to oppose us, then we won't force you into it. The danger to us is great enough that we cannot afford another opponent, particularly one such as yourself."  
I didn't bother to reply to that. It wouldn't have done much good. He wasn't going to explain anything to me, and I wasn't going to extend myself to him.  
"At least you got some straight answers out of him," Donald said finally as we left again.  
"No, we didn't... all we got was confirmation."  
"And some apples."  
"Yeah."  
"Hey, don't go all gloomy on me Sora," he told me. "There's got to be something you can do, right?"  
"If you find it, let me know, won't you? I don't think I'm going to have any luck here."  
"It's not like you to give up so easily."  
"I'm feeling a bit tired."  
Donald looked at me sharply – this had been the same complaint Kairi had.  
He insisted we go back to the hotel, then left again almost immediately to find us a doctor. He didn't find one, but he found an herbalist who claimed to be able to identify what was going on.  
Like the chief, he had a lean but strong look to him. Unlike the chief, he'd opted not to shave, giving him a dense black beard.  
Kairi didn't trust him, so I got examined first. After he'd examined us both, he murmured something to Donald and just left again.  
"What did he say?" I asked him.  
"Not to let you leave. He just said he'd handle it."  
"Seriously? I'm not going to stay cooped up in here. I've got to do something."  
"How about stay here and rest then?"  
"Nice try, Donald."  
"On your own head then," he muttered.  
He didn't have to stop me though. The receptionist on duty stopped me instead.  
"You mustn't leave, Sora," she told me. "I can't let you until you get better."  
"Why not?"  
"It... might be contagious." Even I couldn't miss her hesitation.  
"Oh, really?"  
"Please don't make me force you to remain here. It is for your own safety."  
I wasn't feeling in any condition to argue with her. I just seemed to be getting more and more tired. Kairi more so, she'd been affected by this before I had.  
Sleep is usually a good cure for being tired, so I went back to my room and tried. You know when you want to sleep but can't, you're just lying there wondering if you're asleep yet or not? That's how I ended up.  
I can't tell you how long I laid there for before I heard the commotion. It sounded like an argument at first, or at least a heated discussion.  
There was a window in my room, but for some reason I'd never looked out of it until then. I could see what was going on from it.  
I could see the chief's house from it, and I could see him, backed by several other locals, confronting some people that clearly weren't locals.  
They wore only black, and not the same kind of black that I wear either. In a way, they resembled Roxas when he'd been a part of that organization, but it seemed somehow more... morbid. As if they were already dead or something.  
They were making demands of the chief, waving arms threateningly. The chief remained adamant, crossing his arms defiantly. He never once raised his voice, but spoke firmly and clearly.  
I examined the window, but it was the kind that can't be opened, so I couldn't find out any more.  
The chief finally seemed to react, waving a hand at two people behind him. I couldn't believe what I saw. They seemed somehow to become a kind of hybrid of wolf and human. What was going on here?  
Whatever they were, they towered a good few feet over everyone else, baring their teeth and claws. Not the kind of opponent you want to come up against, let alone two of them at once.  
They bore down on the strangers. The one leading them did something I couldn't see, somehow throwing one of the hybrid things down the street. The other hybrid got to some of the strangers. It made a strange attack, like an uppercut but at a different angle and making full use of the claws. It impaled a stranger on it's claws, making him writhe, then seem to explode into dust. This was almost stranger than watching them turn into these... things.  
The hybrid that had been thrown then joined the first, but the chief reigned them in. He said something to the remaining strangers, who left him with one final message, then turned and left.  
As they left, I came to notice something. I was starting to feel better with every step they took away from this town.  
They paused on the way out though. Their leader had a few words with one of the others, who disappeared, then they continued onwards.  
Where did that one go?  
Right behind me.  
I _hate_ it when someone stares at me from behind. It's unnerving, but at least I knew he was there.  
Something blocked me from summoning my keyblade, which is unusual. It made this guy laugh a cruel, chilling laugh.  
"Save it," he told me. "You'd better save that energy."  
"What for?"  
"Leave, while you still can. This isn't your fight."  
"Oh yeah? Who says I haven't already got involved?"  
"Those dogs stink of what they are. You don't."  
"Dogs?"  
He laughed again, "They haven't even told you, have they? You don't know a thing about what's going on." He shook his head, then continued, "No matter. Before long it won't matter at all."  
"Wait. Just who are you, and what do you mean by that?"  
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said with a bow. "I am Commander Valgor, the second in command to my Master, and it is he who has tasked me with eliminating every last one of their kind. I've already dealt with their allies elsewhere... now they are alone. This little town is the last of them."  
So now I knew what these guys wanted my help with. These weren't ordinary enemies though – the little display that had thrown one of the hybrid things around like a rag doll was proof of that.  
This of course set them off on the wrong foot with me right there and then. He'd just told me he was going to kill the lot of them, and if I let them, whatever they were would become extinct.  
I couldn't have that.  
"So what if I decide to stop you?"  
"You?" he laughed again. "You, stop me? Don't make me laugh. Even if you were one of _them_, you'd stand no chance. I'd have to get rid of you with the rest of them."  
"I won't let you do that. To them or me."  
"Are you challenging me?"  
"No. I'm stopping you. You'd better leave now – before the locals find you're here. All I have to do is tell them you're here, and they'll be here to get rid of you, the same way that one down there did your friend."  
"Friend," he spat. "He was an egotistical little troublemaker, and I'm better off without him."  
Dissent in the enemy ranks. Nearly always a good thing. It makes them so much easier to combat, because none of them want to work with each other.  
"Friend or not – they'll do the same to you."  
"So maybe you do know something after all... very well. I take my leave... but I warn you, Sora. Get in my way, and I _will_ strike you down with the rest of the dogs."

Enough for now. It's getting late here, and I want some rest. If by some means you've read this far and want to hear more from me, you'll have to wait until I write it. I guess if you somehow manage to leave me a note asking me about something, you're welcome to. I'll try and read it if I can find it.  
-Sora.

* * *

**A/N: **In other words, if you've got a question, drop it in a review and I'll get him to write you an answer. Don't expect too many spoilers from it though.

And yes, I'm aware my first person writing attempt isn't all that good still. I'm trying to work on it. Sora's head isn't one I can get into easily. Besides, he pushes me out again. Blame him.


	3. Chapter 3

Right. Where did I leave off?  
Oh, right. Now I remember.  
So by now, I knew why the residents wanted me here, I'd met my opponent and found out what they were up to.  
I was still lacking a great deal of information though – specifically, exactly what the locals were and what their enemies were. Neither of them were normal people, that much was certain. Normal people don't turn into freakish hybrids of wolf and man, or fling said huge hybrids six houses down a road at the flick of a finger.  
That said, even before what happened to me, I'm not normal. I'm sure most people will at least know of most of my exploits.  
Kairi, like me, had recovered with the departure of the strangers. The herbalist that had first diagnosed us had given us both a tonic to try to control the effect of the 'illness'. Would you believe it was just water and sugar? I didn't let Kairi know what had really happened. Maybe the idea that the tonic would work might help her. You never know.  
As soon as he let me leave again, I went straight back to the Chief. This time, he was in one of those hanging couches outside the front of his house. He didn't seem surprised to see me either.  
"I saw what happened," I told him.  
"I know. Someone saw you see."  
"What were those two... I mean what did they turn into?"  
"You know I can't tell you that, Sora."  
"Alright. What about the strangers? They're the reason you want my help, aren't they?"  
"I see you've been talking with them."  
"One of them paid a call on me, yeah. He said he wanted to wipe you and your kind out."  
"Ah... well, maybe I can tell you a bit more then... you've gathered by now that we're not the same as you?"  
"I noticed that the moment those two changed into the wolf-things."  
"The residents of this town – you and your friend excepted – are the last of our kind. We used to have settlements across the world, but no thanks to them our numbers are down to those you see here. Some few are refugees from other settlements, but there are barely a dozen such individuals among us."  
"Why do they want to get rid of you?"  
"We are age-old enemies, Sora. From the moment both their kind and ours were created and if the legends about the event are true, even before our creation, we have been mortal enemies. In days now past, we would fight constantly over territory, or just to gain the upper hand. Many years of risk-taking on our part have taken their toll, and now we pay the price... we are difficult to kill, but they have numbers. We have learned ways to defeat them easier, but they have much more resources at their disposal. We can tell when one is close without needing to see one, but they can pluck thoughts from any mind and turn anyone into an unknowing spy."  
"If it wasn't for the difference in numbers, it sounds fairly even."  
"And now you see why our being so bold got us into trouble. Perhaps if we hadn't taken those risks, we would not be in this situation."  
"So where do I fit into this?"  
"The creatures you fight. Do you consider them to be alive?"  
"The Heartless? I guess I never really thought about it... I think they're alive, but..."  
"Not fully alive?"  
"Yeah."  
"The same could be said of our enemy. They too are alive, but not fully alive the same as you. It is our thought that your experience, if not also the techniques that you use on the Heartless, can be applied to them as well – but only-"  
"Only if I'm one of you."  
"Yes."  
"He threatened me," I told him. "He said it wasn't my fight, and that if I took a stand against him he'd treat me no different to you."  
"It is their way. They can afford to make such statements and make good on them."  
"I also told him I'd stop them."  
We sat in silence while he took that in. I think more out of confirmation than curiosity he finally asked me, "Does this mean you're with us?"  
"Yes," I answered, though at the time I wasn't certain this was right. "it sounds like I'm going to need what only you can offer if I'm going to stop them."  
"That's not the only reason, is it?"  
"Well, since they're hardly going to tell me anything now that I've told them I'm siding with you, and you won't tell me anything if I'm not one of you..."  
"Point taken. Luna will be at her peak tonight. Rest up today, then tonight meet us at the western edge of the town, alone. Do not be alarmed by anything you see when you arrive there. I will ensure no harm comes to you."  
"What will I see there?"  
"That I cannot tell you. Keep this to yourself, young one. We will speak more tonight."  
By his tone, I knew the conversation was over.  
I didn't understand the significance of his statement about Luna being full. I knew Luna was another name for the moon, but that was all. I know better now – it's far more significant than I could ever have known.  
I took his advice and slept through the day, explaining it to the others as the after-effects of being tired earlier.  
As night fell over the town, I heard a lot of movement outside the hotel. It was hard to make anything out in the dark from my window, but it looked like the entire town was leaving their homes and work. They were, of course, heading to the west of the town.  
I took that as my cue to do the same, slipping quietly out of my room, then the hotel itself. Only the stairs betrayed me by squeaking noisily as I stepped on them, but keeping to the edges reduced the noise a fair bit. There was no reaction to the noise, so I left the hotel and headed after the others.  
It was eerie, walking through the once-more deserted town. It was even stranger when I met the chief.  
He was stood at the very edge of the town, where the path stopped and where the plains started.  
On either side of him, as if to define the edges of the path outside the town, were two rows of young wolf pups. Some sat up, others lay down. A few of them seemed to be afraid, looking to the row of older wolves behind for reassurance.  
Behind the chief, connecting the end of the rows of wolves, were four of the hybrids. A fifth stood between them and the chief, standing tall over him.  
On seeing Sora, he turned part way around and held out his hand to the hybrid. It put something in his hand, grumbling.  
"He didn't think you'd show up," the chief explained. "He just lost the bet he made with me on it."  
"You bet on me?"  
"A sure thing."  
"I did not believe you would be willing to make the sacrifices merely to aid us," the hybrid growled.  
"I wasn't at first. Now I am."  
"Now we're finished with the pleasantries, we have the business at hand to attend to." The chief turned to the assembled wolves. "Go ahead to our sacred grounds," he told them. "Make the preparations."  
"I will go with you," the hybrid added.  
It dropped to all fours, turned and ran toward the woods. The wolves followed, the pups lagging behind. Several older ones kept back to keep watch on them.  
"What about us?" I asked him.  
"You will accompany us to the hallowed grounds of our pack, where you will go through the initiation," he paused, then in a less formal tone added, "Sorry about this next bit Sora, but we're sticklers for custom, and we have to observe them."  
I had no idea what he meant until he continued, "You are to remain silent unless spoken to while within our most hallowed grounds, human. You should be honoured to be even permitted within their bounds."  
Now I understood his warning. It did come across as slightly offensive. The way he'd said 'human' though, that bothered me. It was said as if talking about something unpleasant.  
It was their custom though, and I can tell you he wasn't exaggerating when he said they're sticklers for customs. Tell them something is a custom, and they'll respect it. Introduce a custom to them, and they'll observe it almost religiously.  
I didn't want to find out what would happen if I didn't respect their customs, so I kept quiet on our little trip.  
The four hybrids took up positions around the chief and I in a square and escorted us from the town to the nearby forest, then into it. By the time we began to see the other wolves again, I couldn't have found my way back to the town if I'd tried. I think that was the whole point of it.  
Then the forest opened into a small clearing. Lining the edge were the wolves from earlier again. A small break in the trees above let the moon's light shine down, illuminating one small patch of the ground in a beam of light.  
There was no sign of the hybrid that had gone ahead with them, but I found out what he'd probably done when the four that had been escorting us blurred into the shape of normal wolves and completed the ring of wolves lining the clearing.  
The chief took no notice, heading straight for that illuminated patch. He didn't enter it, instead he stood on a small, flat rock just beside it. He gestured for me to step into the light.  
He then began to speak in a tongue I didn't understand. I talked with him once about it, and now understand it's a custom they go through that explains to them why the assembled humans are being brought into the family.  
Actually, it's a bit deeper than that, but some of it doesn't translate well.  
When he'd finished, he turned back to me.  
"You stand on the sacred soil of the pack of Kieran, at the moon's peak. Your presence is permitted where no other of your kind or any other is allowed, because it has been decided you are worthy of the gift we can give you.  
"We do not give the gift to those who do not want it, however. If you have no wish to receive it, leave now."  
I didn't move. I'd have said something, but I wasn't certain if I was allowed to or not yet.  
"Then so be it," the chief continued. He stepped forward into the light. As he did so, he blurred into the same hybrid form as the others had before. "Extend your wrists to me," he growled. He took them, turned my hands palms up and ensured he could reach my wrists easily.  
I imagine he could tell I was apprehensive about this, because he then placed one hand on my shoulder to reassure me before he continued.  
"This will hurt," he told me. "But you must take the pain and accept it. No journey is without a rocky path, and this is such a path. Answer now: Are you ready to accept the gift that is mine to give?"  
Somehow, I knew I had to respond in kind so answered, "I am ready, and freely accept your gift."  
He nodded, drawing his arms up in front of him. The claws on his hands extended, then in one swift movement he brought them both down sharply, arcing them so the claws slashed straight across my wrists and away.  
Reflexes made me jerk back from this, but I didn't move quick enough to stop him.  
Wrists bleed a lot, do you know that? They also hurt a lot when someone cuts them open.  
What probably shouldn't happen is that the pain spreads. It spread from the wrists upwards until it was everywhere.  
I couldn't cry out. Something stopped me from doing it. I managed to get a look at my wrists before I blacked out, and I remember seeing the scars rapidly healing, and seeing fur growing.  
Then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

When I came to, I knew I wasn't myself. Wolves have a natural habit to curl up when they sleep, and the way they curl up isn't something any human body can replicate without being very flexible.  
I didn't open my eyes at first, instead listening intently to try and find out what was going on. I found almost immediately that my hearing was incredibly sharp. I could almost build a mental picture of the surroundings, just by listening.  
Nearby me there were some other wolves dozing, or breathing very lightly. There was a slightly stronger breather not far from me. I guessed that must have been a sentry, just to keep watch.  
I was certain by the faint echoes of the sounds that I was in some kind of cave, and I could hear movements outside, rustling the grass and other plant life. I could even hear the wind whispering in the trees far above and away from me.  
What was more amazing than that was my sense of smell. Humans, as you probably know, can't smell all that much, but now it seemed like I could smell everything. I could tell that the other wolves with me were young pups, and the sentry was an adult keeping watch over them. I was probably with them because I was still new.  
I could tell there had been at least two other adults come in and leave this cave, and I could even tell roughly how long ago. If my new senses were right, it had been a little over two hours since I'd blacked out.  
I decided it was probably time I got up again and found out what had happened to me, so with a yawn, I opened my eyes and looked around.  
It wasn't so much a cave as it was a den. I hadn't been wrong in guessing what my nose and ears were telling me either.  
"You are awake," the adult she-wolf said. "It is about time."  
I was surprised to find I could understand her perfectly. I knew it wasn't any language I knew – or at least knew before this had happened. What was more surprising was that I knew how to speak it myself as well.  
I nodded to her, then looked myself over. There was no question I was a wolf, but... I know I'm young, but it looked like I was just a young puppy like the others. I was older than that, surely?  
"What bothers you?" the she-wolf asked.  
"It is how I look," I answered. You'll have to forgive how odd it sounds, but the language is fairly formal, and it doesn't translate very well. A lot of words don't actually have any counterpart in any language I know.  
"You look like a wolf. Is that not expected?"  
"But I am only a pup?"  
"That is not a matter to concern yourself with. It is the concern of our pack-leader to decide when you may go through the right of passage to become an adult, and receive your name."  
"I have a name already."  
"Your name is that of the man-things. You have no wolf name until you are an adult."  
"Then how will others know who I am?"  
"We will know. Just as you will know us without needing to know names."  
"What should I do now?"  
"Whatever you choose. Do not leave our sacred grounds though. It is not safe for one who is new to the family."  
I figured the first thing to do was to find the chief again and find out some more about what was going on. I knew now that he wasn't just the chief, he was the pack-leader.  
I scrabbled up and out of the tunnels from the den to outside. I had to use my own claws to keep my grip on a steeper bit, which wasn't easy. I wasn't used to this form yet.  
I made sure no one else was around outside before I shook the dirt out of my fur though, and in the faint light from the moon, I gave myself another look over to see myself better.  
Rather interestingly, I found my fur was coloured similarly to what I normally wore in most places, and in the rest it matched my hair.  
While I was busy looking myself over – noting I had a tail as well – another adult wolf joined me.  
"What is it that you are intending to do, pup?" he asked me. Again, I know it sounds strange. Try to bear with me.  
"I seek to know more about what has become of me and what I am."  
"You are a werewolf," he answered. "And a member of the pack of Kieran. What more is there to know?"  
"The pack-leader gave me the chance to join that I might lend my aid in the war with the mortal enemy," I replied. "I wish to know the more that I could not be told before becoming a part of the family."  
"It is well that you seek such knowledge, but you are the human that joined us on this night, and must learn of other matters before you may learn of those matters."  
"What is it that I must learn?" Respect for the adult wolves was something that seemed built-in to me now. It just came naturally that way.  
"You must first learn about yourself and what you may do. Then you will be ready to take part in the Hunt."  
"And after the Hunt?"  
"Then you may be ready to know more. I will join you while you grow used to yourself for your own protection."  
Well that was nice of him. I didn't think there'd be any trouble I couldn't handle though.  
I spent most of that night just wandering around. I met the wolves who's duty it was to patrol the edge of our grounds – not the clearing, but the actual edge that defined where the forest stopped, and our lands started. My guide and I joined them for a ways, then came in with one of the hunting parties that had brought down several deer for the pack.  
I'd missed out on dinner, so I was hungry, but when I tried to get some for myself my guide stopped me.  
"The pack-leader has the first choice, then the adults. The one who is watching over the other pups will bring the share for them to the outside of the den. You should wait there if you wish to eat now."  
"Would I be allowed to find you again after to continue to learn more?"  
"I am sure you will have no issue in doing that."  
With that, I scampered off to wait with the others. I was only small – scampering was probably the best way to describe it.  
While we waited, I began to worry what would happen if there wasn't enough left over for us. They had brought in several deer, but I had no idea how much they'd eat.  
My worries were set aside when we were brought almost an entire deer for us. There weren't that many of us, so we all had plenty to eat. It was raw, but I guess being a wolf must have helped a lot, because it was a good meal.  
I had to rest for a bit afterwards, so I wouldn't make myself ill. Wolves get indigestion a bit easier than humans do, I've since discovered. It gave me some time to try and clean myself up a bit. The she-wolf keeping us safe watched me try to clean up somewhat clumsily, then sighed and came over. She picked me up by the scruff of my neck, placed me down on a small rock, held me down lightly with one paw, then cleaned me herself. It was a bit embarrassing, but at least I ended up cleaner.  
She gave me one last look over with a critical eye, then lifted the paw on me.  
"Go and play," she told me. "Stay out of trouble."  
I went looking for the wolf that had been my guide earlier, and found he was with the pack-leader. I somehow knew I wasn't allowed to approach unless I was called on, so had to wait for them to finish.  
The chief in his wolf-form was an impressive beast. He was easily larger than any of the other wolves, and had a silvery ruff as a kind of mark of his status as our pack-leader – or a reflection of his hair in his human form. Maybe the hair was a reflection of the ruff. It's hard to tell with werewolves, what affects us in one form also affects the others.  
They surprised me however, inviting me to join them. I still have no idea exactly _how_ I knew a lot of things, but I somehow knew that I had to show I accepted his leadership by keeping my tail down. This wasn't easy for me; I wasn't even used to having a tail, let along keeping it down.  
He apparently understood though, and without saying anything, asked me to sit. Body language can say a great deal more between wolves. Words aren't always necessary because of it.  
"How is it with you, young one?" he asked me.  
"I am curious, but content, revered pack-leader," I answered, already knowing the proper way to address him.  
"And what is it that you are curious about?"  
"He wishes to know more about ourselves and about the mortal enemy," my guide told him for me.  
"Perhaps it is well that you learn that," he decided, then nodded to my guide, asking him to leave me with him. "One of the first things a new werewolf should know is his newly found heritage and past."  
He then proceeded to tell me of our two creation myths – one for the universe itself, and one for the origin of the werewolves and our hated enemy.  
To avoid potential arguments, I won't give you his translation of our universe creation myth – which may or may not be a myth, but that's beside the point. I can give you my translation of the werewolf creation myth though. Mine because it's better than his was.  
You'd better be sitting comfortably, and be ready to try and understand this. My translation might be better, but not by much.

In the beginning, men ruled the lands and were content. But the lands did not accept their rule completely, instead giving over that control to the beasts of the land.  
The men and animals sometimes clashed, sometimes lived harmoniously, but always there was one creature most misunderstood in those times of old.  
The great wolf, wild and proud. The men thought it naught but a savage beast, and scarcely an encounter went past where the men did not flee from its sight, or make a foolhardy attempt to slay it.  
And our mother the creator looked upon this, and was saddened. She had resolved herself not to be directly involved, and so did nothing even though her sons and daughters beseeched her otherwise.  
Time did pass, and this sorry affair changed, but not for the better. The men began to fashion means of protecting themselves and harming the animals better than they had before. The wolves began to die out, due to the men slaying them, and the men who hunted their game.  
Of these men, some few were called knights. These men bore some of the qualities of the wolf, being just and honourable.  
But deception and betrayal lay in the hearts of all men, and some knights were not just or honourable.  
Now it came to pass that upon a great plain, a knight of both kinds stood against each other with their allies. Also on this plain lay an ancient shrine to our mother. Though it had seen no use for many years, it remained hers.  
Troubled by what she saw around her shrine, she chose to accede to the demands of her children and intervene.  
The two knights and their allies paused at the sight of her, stood between them and ordering them to shed their arms. She called forth the two knights and spoke with each, learning their side of the tale and silencing the other until she had heard both.  
The two knights were mortal enemies, set against each other by an insult the family of one had made against the other long before, so far back that the very insult itself could not be recalled. Forgotten, but it remained the reason the two families fought with each other to that day.  
She turned them aside from their self-destructive ways in each a different way.  
Unto the knight benevolent, she gifted the qualities of the beast he so resembled, and thus were the first of our kind, the Werewolves, born. The knight, his family and allies shared in this gift, forming the first of the packs. They inherited the customs and traditions of those creatures they shared the gift with, and cherished the gift.  
The knight, awed at the power of the one who had bestowed the gift, vowed at once to turn aside and departed the field of battle.  
Then she did turn to the remaining knight and his allies. She did not bestow upon them a gift of an animal, but as the universe demanded balance, she had to give unto them something to keep it.  
So she cursed them with the thing they thought they would desire most, a long life. But with it came the cost of new ways that they might be brought low. She gave them power over others, but also cursed them, forcing them to depend on those unchanged others for their very life-blood.  
The knight believed he had been spurned, punished. He did not vow to turn aside, instead swearing to continue his unrighteous crusade to eliminate his hated foe, and to exact revenge against her by eliminating our kind in their totality. Not until there lay no more werewolves upon the soils of the world would he allow his kind their rest.  
And thus were the first of our hated and mortal enemy, the Vampires born.  
The knight benevolent knew nothing of this, having departed before our mother had so cursed the other knight. The Great War of our kinds began when the knight malevolent launched a surprise attack on the first pack, slaying many.  
From that time onwards, we have been set eternally against each other, both sides sworn to the eradication of the other. There can be no peace between us until we lay dead, or they lay defeated.

And just as that legend says, that vendetta still goes on today, and now I'm a werewolf too, I'm a part of it. My pack-leader made certain I understood that when he explained it to me, and then as it was growing late by then, suggested we headed back home to our town. I was told that I'd return to my normal human self when the moon set.  
I still hadn't grown used to running around in my new form, so one of the adults picked me up again and got me there in time.  
I had to jump up onto the bed in my room, and being only a small pup I couldn't make it that easily. I managed it eventually, then curled up and went to sleep. It had been a long night – even if it didn't seem like it.


	5. Chapter 5

There's actually one part of the legend I left out – the ritual. But I'll get to that in good time.  
The morning after I became a werewolf, I woke up feeling perfectly normal at first. I was in the bed of the hotel room I'd taken, I was human again and I had my own clothes on.  
It wasn't until I decided to get up and have a wash I noticed the scars still remained on my wrists. They looked like they'd had plenty of time to heal, leaving only that slightly discoloured skin and a dark line across each. I tugged down my gloves to cover them. I didn't want anyone else to see them – as far as Kairi and the others knew, I hadn't gone anywhere last night. It probably wasn't a good idea for them to find out what I was, and I was fairly sure that like the locals, I wouldn't be allowed to tell them. They were the outsiders now, I wasn't.  
There was a knock at the door as I was planning to leave. It turned out to be the receptionist for the day.  
"Sora," she greeted me. "The chief wishes to see you."  
"I'll be along in a moment. My friends..."  
"Are entirely unaware of the events of last night," she confirmed for me. I learned in that instant that even in our human form, werewolves can still communicate a great deal just by body language. A few other parts of the wolf form carry over, such as a slight boost to the senses. At this time though, it was hard for me to notice it. I was still only a puppy in my wolf form, so they didn't have much effect on my own human one.  
Goofy was already up when I came down into the lobby of the hotel.  
"Sora! Feeling better?"  
"Of course I am. I had a good rest."  
"That's good. Donald said he heard something last night like someone trying to leave. Did you hear it?" Of course I had. I'd caused it.  
"Come on, me? I can sleep through anything. Are you sure he wasn't just hearing things?"  
"You can ask him yourself if he finally gets up again."  
"Yeah, I will in a bit. Their chief wants to talk to me again."  
"Maybe he'll tell you something useful this time."  
It was still fairly early in the morning, not a time I'm usually up at. Some few residents were going about their business, and a few stores had opened early.  
The chief wasn't outside when I reached his house, but he was apparently up, answering the door when I knocked. He stared at me bleary eyed for a few moments, then invited me in.  
There was very little furniture in his house. A bed, a set of shelves, two cupboards and a place to cook.  
"I wasn't expecting you for a while yet," he said in that quiet voice everyone seems to use in the early hours. He picked a bit of floor and a bowl he'd apparently left nearby.  
"I'm not normally up this early either. You wanted to talk?"  
"Mm. You know of course, who I am."  
"Our pack-leader."  
He nodded, "What did you learn about us last night?"  
"You told me about our history, how we believe everything came to be, how we were created, and confirmed that the mortal enemy are vampire-kind. The wolf who guided me around explained the order in which hunted food is taken and that I have to be able to join in the hunt before I can lay claim to being an adult, and gaining a wolf-name. I think that's all."  
"Not bad. Only one mistake. You have to make your first kill in the hunt before I can give you your name, and when you get your name you become an adult."  
"I... have to kill someone."  
"Oh, no. Not someone. Just something worth hunting. That forest of ours is practically overrun with good hunting game. Hunting other people hasn't been done for a long time."  
"I guess that's a bit better."  
"Now, tell me something you have yet to learn."  
"How to change form when I want?"  
He laughed knowingly, "Every new werewolf says the same. Well, the ones brought in like you, anyway."  
"There's other kinds?"  
"Only one. The kind that are born into it. But there's some slightly different circumstances when it comes to them. Do you know why I didn't show you how to change form last night? Or why no one would have taught you, had you asked?"  
"Something to do with the moon, right?"  
"You're quick, I'll give you that. You're right, it was Luna. She's the source of power that allows us to keep on doing these things. We honour her every time she reaches her peak, and in exchange she lets us continue to be what we are."  
"I didn't get the chance to do that..."  
"Well, no. Firstly, you were still unconscious at the time, and secondly, I have to pick only certain members of our pack to participate."  
"I can't do it because I'm not an adult, right?"  
"That's one of the reasons, yes. But we're getting a bit off topic. When Luna is at her peak, every werewolf is forced to take on either of their alternate forms until she sets again. You'd be right in thinking that only adults can shift to the hybrid form as well."  
"So even if someone had taught me how to do it, I wouldn't have been able to leave my wolf form, would I?"  
"No. But now she has set and a new day has broken, you can at least learn to assume your wolf form at will."  
"Can I try and figure it out for myself?"  
"Of course. But be careful, Sora – you won't be able to speak any human language while you are a wolf, and the lupine language cannot be spoken by any human tongue."  
"You could just change to a wolf and talk me through changing back if I get stuck."  
He sat for a few moments, then said, "It's early, and I haven't been up long, so I'll give you that one. This time."  
I gave him a grin, then gave it a try. It turned out to be as simple as willing myself to change form.  
As I changed, several other things changed too. My clothes all just disappeared – where they went is anyone's guess. Then there was the change in perspective. As a wolf puppy, I was a lot closer to the floor than normal.  
Lastly, my wolven side kicked in, giving me a profound change in the way I thought. I was now as much a wolf as I had been the night before.  
"Not bad," he commented. "It looks like you've got a knack for this. Most werewolves don't manage that on their first try. Why don't you change back, and we'll move on."  
I was almost reluctant to change back. It was a chilly morning, and my fur was nice and thick.  
"So what now?" I asked him once back to my human form again.  
"That's up to you, Sora. What do you think you have left to learn?"  
I thought for a bit, but came up with only one question.  
"Our grounds. Why are they called sacred grounds?"  
He didn't answer at first, seeming to consider his answer carefully.  
"Understand that I don't tell you this lightly," he said gravely. "Ordinarily, only a pack-leader and the _Kamaz_ – the champion of all werewolves – may know this."  
"Go on."  
"Originally, we only honoured Luna on the nights of the full moon. At the same time though, we were losing to our enemy. We could destroy them, but it took several werewolves to do so and was not easy."  
"What happened then?"  
"We turned to our heritage – our wolven heritage. Though it isn't easily apparently, wolves have a god of their own that they honour. Wolves can tell werewolves from their own kind though – they don't like us, but as long as we don't interfere with them, they leave us alone. At the time though, the then-current Kamaz visited them and asked them for their advice."  
"They told you to turn to their god, didn't they?"  
"Not in so many words. They told us how to ask him for his aid. He would either respond, or he would not. We didn't get any response to our requests for a long time. That finally changed where on what is now our grounds, a werewolf pack came to the aid of a wolf pack that lay under attack from humans being manipulated by our enemy."  
"Maybe he was like them? Suspicious of us until we proved ourselves?"  
"That's an interesting view on it. It's quite possibly true, but I can't say for sure. As far as we know, their god spoke with Kamaz and finally agreed to take us on as his own as well. Through him, he passed on to us the knowledge we needed to turn the tables on them. Since then, we honour him at the ritual as well."  
"It's not like a religion then, is it? He helped us and watches over us, and we pay our respects to him for doing that, and that's all really."  
"Hardly all, but you're young. I can't tell you all yet."  
"I guessed so."  
There was a knock at the door. Without actually saying anything, he invited whoever it was to join us.  
It turned out to be a young boy, only small. He had untidy hair like mine but in black, and seemed to prefer going around barefoot, wearing only a light shirt and shorts despite the cold morning.  
"Pack-leader," he nodded respectfully to the chief. "May I speak?"  
"You're human at the moment, Alex. You don't need to ask."  
He shook his head ruefully, "I'm not used to it. I wondered how he was doing." He meant me. I had a suspicion I knew who he was.  
"For someone new, he's adept at picking it up quickly."  
Now, you might think it rude they were talking about me while I sat there with them, but both Kieran – the chief, that is – and Alex were born werewolves, and their wolven side tends to assert itself more even in their human form. To them, I was the youngest and so I was meant to watch, listen and learn – not speak out.  
"I wondered if I might go with him again," he told the chief. "To continue helping him learn more about us, and guide him in adjusting." Now I was almost certain I knew who he was.  
The chief nodded, giving his consent and added, "Don't leave town without telling someone though. I don't need to remind you we need him."  
"I will protect him," he promised.  
Once outside, curiosity got the better of me. I had to figure out if I was right.  
"You're the wolf last night that acted as my guide, right?"  
"You remember me? I didn't think you'd figure it out."  
"Only because you're... well..."  
"Young as a human, but older as a wolf?"  
"Yeah."  
"I was born a werewolf, but in human-form," he explained. "I've gone through the right of passage, which makes me an adult in my wolf form, but because I was born in human-form, this form shows me for how old I really am. If I'd been born in wolf-form, then I'd be an adult when I was human too."  
"I think I get it now. Doesn't it bother you though?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Being an adult wolf, but a human child?"  
"This town is also our pack. Everyone knows about it. I'm treated as an adult, because in the eyes of the pack, I am an adult. Only when there's outsiders around do I have to act like a human child."  
"Then what did you mean by 'not used to it' when you were talking with the chief?"  
"I spend most of my time as a wolf," he shrugged. "So I have trouble understanding more human concepts. I don't really try to learn them anyway."  
Alex showed me to the edge of town as we talked, then we skirted it's edge in a kind of patrol. It was hardly necessary. Anyone who came here would be seen coming.  
He kept me between him and the town, ensuring that anything that did attack would have to go through him to reach me. It seemed a bit strange, a small boy protecting me. Normally I'm the one protecting others.  
Then something caught my nose. It was a strange scent, it somehow smelled distinctly red, and tasted faintly tinny. Somehow familiar, but I knew I'd never smelled it before.  
Alex stopped and watched curiously while I tried to figure out what it was. I slipped back into being a wolf to try to get it better, but all I got was a stronger scent.  
Forgetting I was a wolf, I silently asked him what he thought it was. He sniffed at the air once, then took on a harsh, bleak expression that didn't look right on his face.  
"_Them_," was all he said, with obvious contempt.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex and I stood at one edge of the werewolf town, looking out in search for the enemy we could smell, but not see.  
He remained human, while at his suggestion I remained a wolf.  
Then, on the horizon we saw them coming fast. Not a single opponent, but a fair sized group – and there were Heartless with them.  
"I have to alert the pack," Alex said, "but I can't leave myself open to attack..."  
I returned to being human and summoned the keyblade. He understood instantly, turning back into the wolf that had been my guide and letting loose a loud howl.  
The wolf's howl is more than it seems to be. It can convey a great deal of information in just a few instants. Think of it as a kind of news feed.  
The howl he sent out let everyone know what had been sighted, which way they were coming from, and who was on the scene. Just me and him, in case you're wondering.  
I heard several other howls from within the village raising the alarm similarly. For a moment, I worried about Kairi, Donald and Goofy, but I also knew that the others would protect them. It was what the pack did for it's members. If they couldn't help me, then I'd keep them as safe as possible, so the pack would do the same in my place.  
The first of the attackers reached us before Alex finished his howl, leaving me to hold them off. Vampires, it seemed, were just as vulnerable to the keyblade as Heartless was. A few well-placed strikes against them caused them to vanish, apparently defeated. I was wrong on that score, but didn't find that out until later.  
One of them had a sword though, and blocked me. She laughed at me, striking back and holding my attention, letting others into the town.  
She was skilled, no doubt about that. She managed to disarm me and for a few moments it looked like I was in trouble, but then Alex, in the towering hybrid form, was there. He struck at her with the same strange attack I'd seen back when I first saw a hybrid form. I mentioned that earlier, so I won't repeat myself here.  
Unlike the vampires I'd been hitting, this one turned into dust when Alex gave a sharp downward jerk of his hand.  
"I'm alright," I told him in answer to his unspoken question.  
"Concentrate on your own enemy," he told me, meaning the Heartless. "Leave the rest to us."  
"Easier said than done," I replied, causing another vampire to vanish.  
By the time the Heartless caught up with the leading edge of the attack, the vampires had already made it into the town. There were sounds and sights of werewolves taking out vampires all round, and struggles to harm the Heartless. Just as I couldn't harm the vampires properly yet, they couldn't hurt the Heartless.  
Alex and I worked together. He cleared a path through the vampires to each bunch of Heartless, then kept them off me while I dealt with my own long-time foes.  
I discovered that the pack had made arrangements for the safety of the young in case of exactly this. Each of them would remain with three adults, take up one of several houses that was more carefully constructed, and guard it against anything. In ordinary circumstances, I should have been in one of them – but I had the keyblade.  
One of the empty houses we passed had been set alight. Several pack members were holding off the attackers while others worked to put it out. I caught Alex's attention, signalling toward them. There were more Heartless than vampires there – they needed our help.  
It was as we were handling them that I started to worry – they were willing to use fire. The entire village was made of wood, thatching, flammable materials.  
Including the hotel.  
I trusted the pack of course, but it was a clear problem for me. If something happened to them...  
Just about every werewolf would be able to pick up on that, and a fair number did. They supported Alex's efforts until we received word that there were no further Heartless in the town.  
Then my worry became very real – I heard a cry for me that I'd have recognised anywhere, werewolf or not. Every face that didn't belong to a vampire or werewolf fighting one turned to me.  
If I'd been an adult in my other form, I'd have changed to it and bolted for the hotel, but I couldn't.  
"Alex. I need a lift."  
"A... lift? I don't understand."  
"Just change to a wolf, and be ready to head where that came from," I told him.  
He still didn't quite understand, until I also changed and jumped up on top of him. I think I surprised him a bit with that actually, not to mention everyone else. There were a lot of curious looks from everyone else as he took off.  
Neither of us changed back when we entered the place. All the doors upstairs were open, and all the guests that had been there – all three of them – were backed into a corner with our dear friend, Commander Valgor stood over them. It looked to me like nothing any of them could do had done anything to him, and like he was getting ready to feed on them.  
He looked round sharply at the sight of us coming in. I wouldn't – couldn't, actually – change in front of Kairi. Instead, as Alex dug into the carpet to stop (destroying it in the process, as well), I braced myself, then jumped. His forward momentum and mine together were enough to carry me right onto Valgor's chest. I dug in my claws, then bit down hard on his own neck – giving him a taste of his own medicine, so to speak.  
He struggled underneath me, trying to throw me off, but I held firm.  
A wolf's natural instinct in this case is to bite hard, then jerk sharply from side to side in a tearing motion. For an adult wolf at least, it's a highly effective way of making sure the foe is dead. For a young wolf, it's not as good, needing more energy to do the same, and in either case it's normally used on creatures being hunted.  
Valgor was my prey, though I doubt he'd have made a decent meal. I knew he hadn't fed for a long time because I could taste very little blood, and even he didn't have much taste to him.  
I kept up the tearing at him until I finally achieved what I wanted – all four paws on the floor and a heap of dust underneath me. It'd taken me a lot of work, but I'd done it.  
My friends looked at me, seemingly stunned and afraid at the same time. A part of the pack behind also looked on from all three different forms.  
Alex recovered first, nodding once to me and then sent another nearby werewolf running for the pack-leader.  
I was about ready to curl up and rest, but someone else had other ideas. I should have known it was Kairi who picked me up, called me brave and then cute – which is deeply embarrassing for a wolf, incidentally. Fortunately werewolves are a little more tolerant of things like that, being at least part-human. I did have to put up with a few carefully hidden laughs from those present though.  
Then our pack-leader was there. He didn't need to push through the crowd even while still human, they simply parted around him so he could stop nearby and examine the scene with a grave look about him.  
I just looked helplessly at him from Kairi's arms. Alright, yes, it was kind of nice like that. I'll admit it right here. I just hope she doesn't read this. She might have had something to say about it if she knew it was me.  
He looked from the dust with my paw prints in, to Kairi and then to me without a change in his expression.  
"_Kitcha_!" he barked to the other members of the pack. The rough translation is 'Return to what you were doing before this happened'. It also implies one of two things depending on how it's said. If said with a harsher tone, it suggests that what happened was a bit of a crime. On the other hand, if said firmly but not harshly, then it's a command to do it quickly. Obviously, harsh and firm is both.  
In this case it was only said firmly. I wouldn't have gone through that little explanation except to show how the same word can mean different things in the wolven language. There's one word that has about twenty different meanings because of that. It makes it a bit difficult to learn if you don't want to become a werewolf.  
Anyway, when the others had cleared out to ensure the rest of the town was clear of vampires, he turned back to Kairi.  
"An interesting event," he murmured. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Kieran, the chief of this village. I believe you know me already," he nodded to Donald.  
"He's Donald," Kairi answered for him. "This is Goofy, and I'm Kairi."  
"Kairi?" he asked, an almost unnoticeable change in expression showing his surprise. "It is an honour to meet you. You are Sora's companions, are you not?"  
"That's us... and who's this little puppy?" She held me up again. Believe me when I tell you she can be very embarrassing at times like that. I'm sure I did look cute and everything, but I _was_ a wolf... and I had just killed a vampire in front of her. I'd have tried to look a little more vicious, but I was fairly worn out still, and I didn't want to scare her.  
"He has yet to receive a name," Kieran answered. "When he becomes an adult, he'll be given one."  
"Why not sooner?"  
"It is our custom, and we take our customs seriously. May I?" he asked, holding out his own arms. Kairi handed me to him somewhat reluctantly.  
"He saved me from that creep," she told him with a note of pride. "He kept talking about feeding or something."  
"His kind is not exactly human, but must feed off humans by taking their blood... it is not pleasant."  
"A vampire? Seriously? I thought they were just... myths."  
"They are not. You saw one defeated before your own eyes. Did he harm you at all?"  
"No, we're fine thanks. Just a bit shaken."  
"Good. Please excuse me now. I must make sure this little one is also unharmed."  
"Wait – do you know what happened to Sora?"  
"I'm afraid not, but I believe he will turn up safe. My people here will ensure that everyone is accounted for, and will find him for you. I ask only that you trust me to find him."  
We left then, headed of course for his home.  
"Quite the adventure you've had, I hear... and now I see as well."  
I couldn't really say anything. I was sure he'd understand me, but he seemed to know what had happened already.  
"The town is safe, in case you're wondering. Thanks to Alex's warning, we met them head on. I've yet to get all the details, but so far it seems we made it with no losses at all."  
That was a relief to hear. We passed the house that had been set alight along the way. There were several scorched areas, and a few holes in the thatching, but it too had survived.  
"I was surprised to see what you'd done. Never before have I heard of a young wolf bringing down a vampire. Then again, the pack's instinct is to protect the young from the threat, so there's no chance of it happening normally. You're far from normal, I know."  
We reached his house, and he let me drop to the floor so he could open the door.  
"I've some bad news for you, by the way. Your keyblade didn't destroy the vampires. Only delay them."  
"Delay them? How?" I asked, forgetting I was still a wolf.  
"When something that would normally kill a human hits them, they simply vanish and reappear somewhere else. We've never found out where that is, unfortunately."  
"And the attack is broken?"  
"As far as I'm aware, it is. All because you were there to protect Alex while he raised the alarm."  
Something had been weighing on my mind, and he could tell. He gave me the time I needed to properly think how to put it to him.  
"I killed him because he was threatening her," I told him. "I did it, but I should have let another do it because they know how to achieve it quicker than I did."  
"That's true. But the pack knows how much she means to you – as do I. I perhaps know more than the pack does."  
"How is that possible?"  
"Think about every werewolf you have met and their names. What do they all have in common when spoken in the human tongue?"  
"They all begin in the same manner?" There's no actual way to specifically say 'They all start in K', so I had to improvise.  
"Exactly. And every name has a meaning. Mine, for example, means 'The Wise One'."  
"Her name has a meaning too, doesn't it?" He nodded, but didn't say anything.  
I thought hard. I still hadn't heard much of the wolven language, but I figured that if I knew some things apparently without reason, then there had to be something behind it. I may have said it before, but I still don't know what exactly it is. It worked though.  
Kairi's name turned out to mean something rather special, and disturbing.  
"'The Companion of the Last'," I said out loud.  
Kieran nodded again, "It may only be a coincidence, but we seldom put much stock in coincidences. The only way to be certain would be to ask at the next ritual."  
"May I ask that it be asked at that time?"  
"I think I can do better than that. You admitted yourself that you killed that vampire. There were members of the pack there who witnessed that."  
I knew what he was implying, but I also knew it wasn't quite right, and I felt I had to point out, "This was not a hunt. I was acting to protect her from him."  
"Is that what you believe? The one Alex sent to find me told me of what she saw. I asked others along the way what they saw. The general agreement is that you followed a trail from something you heard to where your prey was, then caught and brought down your prey. You had a specific, single target in mind, and eliminated it. You hunted him."  
He let that sink in. I knew what it meant just as well as he did, even if it did seem like a technicality.  
"Go on back to her as yourself," he told me. "I will send word to you when we are ready for you."  
I nodded, then got up to leave through a flap in his front door.  
He opened the door after me and called, "Sora!" I turned to see him looking at me meaningfully.  
"Thanks," I mumbled after changing back again. I'd completely forgotten to change, of course.


	7. Chapter 7

Kairi was relieved to see me safe and unharmed. I still couldn't tell her what had really happened, so I had to quickly think up a cover story. I told her I helped keep some of the young safe. It wasn't really a lie, I had been doing just that – just not the way she thought I was doing it.  
I then let her go ahead and give a slightly embellished tale of the brave little wolf puppy that saved her. To hear her tell it, you'd think I'd torn him apart.  
I needed to rest still though. It'd been hard work for me. This time though, I didn't go up to my room. I figured Kairi would probably feel better for having me around, so we stayed down in the lobby in one of the many squashy chairs there. You know the kind, the ones you feel like you sink into.  
This turned out to be a bit of a mistake. You'd think it's hard to make one, but it wasn't. All that happened was one of us fidgeted a bit to get a bit more comfortable, and one of my gloves slipped down just enough to reveal the scar that marked what I'd become.  
She didn't notice it at first, so I tried to hide it again. When I tried though...  
"Hey! What's that? I thought you said you were alright?"  
"I am."  
"Then what's that?"  
"It's just an old scar. Don't worry about it."  
"You never told me you got hurt there. It looks pretty bad. You should have told me, or at least had someone look at it."  
"It's nothing, Kairi," I insisted. "It's almost healed now anyway."  
"When did it happen?"  
I couldn't tell her it was so recent. She wouldn't have believed me – the cuts had healed far more rapidly than any ordinary ones would, and left it looking more like an older injury.  
"Eh, it was ages ago now. Didn't even notice it when it happened."  
"Don't try that on me. You'd have noticed, wrists hurt a lot."  
"I was busy at the time. There were a lot of Heartless around."  
"Heartless wouldn't do anything like that."  
I'm a terrible liar, especially when it comes to her. She knows me too well.  
"Kairi. I'm fine. You can see they're almost gone now. There's nothing to worry about now. Just let it lie? Please?"  
She still looked suspicious, but let it lie. Letting this happen was more of a problem than I realised. Those scars are still there even now. They'll never fade, never fully heal. It's like a permanent mark that everyone who gets turned will always have.  
She knows they're still there as well. I've managed to put off letting anyone else examine them because it'll lead to someone making a few checks I don't want – like a test of my blood.  
You probably don't think that's significant, but it is. The blood of a werewolf like me will show clear signs of being partly wolf-like. Enough that anyone who examined it would know there's something not quite right about me.  
Werewolves born into it are even more wolf-like, which is why even if there were any left today, they'd never trust any doctor.

Things were quiet over the next few days. I knew Kieran would send for me at some point, I just didn't know when.  
There were no further attacks by the vampires or any Heartless during that time, and things seemed to go along as normal.  
My friends continued the original investigation, trying to find out where the pack went so often and things like that. I kept the appearance of trying to help, but worked separately when I could. The pack understood that they couldn't be told, and also kept up the same act when I had to work with them. It was, and still is frustrating knowing that I hold the answers to that investigation – but I can never tell them.  
When I did have time to myself, I tried to learn more. More about the werewolves, more about the vampires, more about anything useful really.  
I learned that the Hybrid form had only come about when the wolf-god began to watch over us and was this gift from him that gave us the edge over vampire-kind.  
I learned that there had been three Great Wars. While our two kinds fought constantly, the Great Wars were, as their name suggests, times of greater conflict than normal. The First Great War began when our kinds were created. As the old legend says, they made a pre-emptive strike against our kind. That was the exact moment it began. It was ended by the first Kamaz, and all other werewolf champions take that name in honour of him.  
The Second Great War did not end so favourably, with immense losses on both sides. It was finished by a tentative agreement between the Kamaz of the time and his counterpart among their kind. It was the first time the two sides ever met in discussion without trying to kill each other, and remains so to this day.  
The Third Great War was ongoing at this time. They had started it after we began to take losses from being overconfident and taking may risks, with the intention of eliminating our kind.  
I would not let it end on those terms. The werewolves had come to me to change the situation, and I'd do everything I could to achieve it. Even if it meant doing the very same thing to them that they wanted to do to us.  
During this time I also came across a curious custom of theirs that they called the Promise.  
It's similar to the more human customs of engagement, but there's more differences than you'd expect.  
Any adult wolf is considered to be Unpromised, but open for it. If they find another Unpromised wolf of the other gender they want to be with, they'll ask their pack-leader to make them Promised to each other. This means they can no longer be Promised to any other.  
It also means that once they're of age – in terms of actual age, rather than perceived age, as the right of passage alters that for werewolves – they'll wait one year, then be mated for life. There is no such concept as a divorce among wolves or werewolves.  
There's a difference to the situation when it comes to the daughter of the pack-leader however, and it's this situation I encountered.  
The daughter of the pack-leader does not simply choose. Custom dictates that when she is seeking a mate, she let the pack-leader know. He – or she, though it's rare to find a female pack-leader – lets the eligible wolves of the pack know that she is looking. They then indulge in a kind of contest to impress her, to win her affection. After one week, it's considered finished and she must make her choice, and inform the leader when she has her choice.  
It's considered a great honour to be the one chosen. There's no doubt about that.  
It was a bit of a surprise when Kieran's daughter approached me to ask why I didn't take part. I was completely unaware it had been going on, but then I was still considered a child in the eyes of the pack. I might be due to go through the right of passage, but until then I wouldn't be eligible.  
If I had been eligible, I wouldn't have put myself forward to it. Kairi would have misunderstood if I'd ended up Promised to another, and even if I don't show it often, I do have my own feelings for her.  
It was an interesting encounter at least, and a look into the more wolven mind of those born into our particular gift.

Some of the other things I learned weren't so helpful. Contrary to popular belief, vampires can go out during the day, couldn't care less about holy water or symbols, and a stake through the heart is just a minor inconvenience. Silver isn't a weapon against them or us. There's no permanent way to kill them without being an adult werewolf.  
We werewolves aren't without our own traits, but I've mentioned most of them before. The only one I didn't talk about is injuries, and that's summed up by one simple statement Alex gave me: 'Harmed in one, shown in all'. It's meaning is pretty clear.  
It was nearly a week after Valgor's demise that I was called to our grounds, this time during the day. I didn't need a guide for it, the trail of pack members continual travel to and from there was perfect.  
Only a small part of the pack was present at the clearing in the center of our grounds, and of them I recognised only a few. Alex was there, and several of the wolves who'd been present with him, but the others I didn't know, at least not all that well.  
Kieran was not there though, and it seemed like Alex was handling things so I went to him first.  
"You made good time," he murmured. "Are you ready?"  
"Shouldn't the pack-leader be here?"  
"He has found something else to see to, and asked me to do this for him. You'll need to be human, and you'll need to show your scars."  
"What's going to happen?"  
"The Right of Passage."  
"I'm ready then."  
Alex nodded, beckoning to the group of wolves I recognised. When they stopped nearby, he turned back to me, and I knew the Right had begun.  
"Speak your mind, young one and make your claim."  
"I seek to claim my kill in the hunt, and receive what is rightfully mine."  
"Did anyone witness this event?"  
"The pack was present at the time I made the kill."  
Now he turned to the group beside us.  
"Do you, the members of the pack of Kieran, verify this claim?"  
They nodded or growled their assent. I knew again exactly what came next.  
"I verify that these members were present when I made the kill."  
"Present your scars," Alex ordered me. He shouldn't have been able to normally, but Kieran had left him in charge. I presented them, hoping he wasn't going to repeat my first time here.  
He covered them with his own hands though, brought them together until his hands were the only thing between my scars.  
"On behalf of our leader, your claim is verified, werewolf Kulim." Kulim. The werewolf word for 'Omega'. In turn, that translates as 'The Last'. Kieran wasn't as uncertain as he'd seemed.  
There was no big issue made of it though. I wondered if they actually knew or not, but then I remembered something else – there are no secrets within a wolf-pack. If Kieran knew, they knew.  
Don't be confused here – in a real wolf-pack, the Omega wolf is at the bottom of the social standing. While we inherit a great deal from them, that's one thing we don't inherit.  
That was the entire extent of the Right of Passage. I was an adult werewolf now.  
I changed form to check, and noticed the difference instantly. One new addition was the kingdom crown I keep on a chain – now I was an adult, it remained with my after changing form.  
I could tell there were differences. My senses flared further than before, stronger than they were. I had more power and speed behind me, but that's to be expected.  
"Don't forget your other one," Alex reminded me.  
The Hybrid from was new to me. I knew how to shift to it, but before now never could.  
It took a few attempts to achieve it. It's not an actual form as such, it's more like... well, a hybrid. It's hard to explain without saying it in the wolven language. I think what happens is that I take a bit of each, and create a new Hybrid form every time.  
My fur colours carried over, as did the kingdom crown. Other than that, it was completely new to me. I was taller and stronger, but I lacked some of the agility I had in my wolf form, and my senses weren't as powerful. I guess compromises had to be made.  
It was disorienting at first, being so different. I found I could speak fluently in both human and wolven tongues, though there were some phrases I had to avoid in either because it put my tongue in danger of being bitten. That's not a good thing at all.  
Something caught my senses all the same. I recognised the scent.  
"They're here," I told them.  
"They?"  
"_Them_," I repeated, with clear emphasis.  
Alex barked a few short commands to the others. All young headed into the dens, and several wolves followed to protect them. All remaining wolves followed me toward the scent. Now I was an adult, I didn't need orders to do it – the safety of the pack and our grounds was more important.  
They were at the edge of our grounds. Something apparently stopped them from coming in.  
I told the wolves with me to hold back, then returned to being human.  
"What are _you_ doing here?" I asked the one in charge.  
"Looking for you. But I see now that there was no point. They've already corrupted you."  
"Watch your words. I'm not the corrupt one here."  
"Are you calling me corrupt, dog? You? Though I suppose I should thank you... the Master told me you're responsible for dealing with Valgor. If it hadn't been for you, I'd never have become the Commander."  
"It doesn't matter to me who gets called Commander. You're all the same to me."  
"You've never met the Master."  
"I will though, and I'll come out on top."  
"You'd never even reach him. You couldn't even find yourself a bone-"  
I interrupted him with a blow to his face. I'm not normally violent, but I _really_ didn't like the continued implications that I was no better than any other dog.  
"Get out," I told him in a low tone. "Get out of the forest before I do more than break your jaw."  
"Or what? You'll beat me?"  
I called on my own Hybrid form. Several of the others followed suit.  
"I could end your life right here and now. We could wipe out every single one of you. If I were any other werewolf, I would have. But I'm not just any other werewolf, I'm the keyblade master, and a good person. I'm giving you a fair chance to get away from here before we come after you. Take it... or die."  
"You've not heard the last of this. We'll be back... and you'll met your end. All of you."  
"You've got five minutes before we come after you – or you can die here now."  
With a last contempt filled look at each of us, they turned and left again.  
"You are a credit to our kind, Kulim," one of the others told me. "Any other would never have given them a warning."  
"I can at least give them a fair chance. It's their choice to take it – or ignore it."  
"You remind me a great deal of the first werewolf from the legend."  
"The knight, you mean?"  
"You share many similar qualities. Always willing to give another chance, to give fair warning, even to one's worst enemy."  
I hadn't even considered that. We sat or stood watching after the retreating vampires for a little longer, then with a sigh I said, "That's long enough. Go and get them."  
"You are not joining us?"  
"I've done enough for one day. It won't make any difference who gets rid of them."


	8. Chapter 8

Right. Where did I leave off?  
Lets see... yeah, that's right. Just after the Right of Passage.  
So, Kieran had gone off and left Alex in command of the pack, I'd received my wolf name, Kulim, found that it meant 'The Last' and then run off a small group of vampires.  
Well, I say run off. I let the others with me go after them instead, while I went back to the grounds again. Something about this didn't quite seem right, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly.  
The grounds were quiet. I could smell the recent departure of all young and a fair number of adults, all headed back to town. There should have been more, but I'd taken a good number after the vampires, and they hadn't returned yet.  
Alex's scent lead to one of the other dens. The remaining handful of members were not on patrol, not guarding the grounds, they were waiting for something.  
"Kulim," one greeted me. "May we have a moment?"  
"What's on your mind?"  
"I am concerned for the safety of the pack. Alex has told us the pack-leader has found something to see to and left him to run things in his absence."  
"I know. He told me the same."  
"We do not believe that is true. There is nothing we know of that the pack-leader would have to attend to."  
"Could it be something only he knows about?"  
Another of them shook her head, stepping forward, "Even if there was, he would inform more than one pack member, even if he were in a hurry."  
"Alex is acting unusually," the first continued. "He has been more assertive of late, and has often challenged some of the pack-leader's choices."  
"He hasn't seemed any different to me."  
"He has not spent much time around you of late, however."  
"His scent doesn't seem-"  
"Your senses have only recently grown to adult levels. They will be stronger than usual for a time longer, but you are still unused to them."  
I considered this. It definitely seemed to fit my nagging feeling there was something very wrong.  
"Why bring this to me?"  
"When the pack believes the leader is too old or infirm to lead, or disagrees with his leadership, they give him an honourable end. If something has happened to our pack-leader, that leaves Alex in his position."  
"I'm not seeing the connection."  
"He is currently our pack-leader, Kulim. We do not agree with his leadership."  
"You want me to challenge him, and find out what he knows."  
"That is exactly what we want."  
"I'm going to need to know his wolf-name."  
"Kordoch," she told me. It's taken me a long time to find a suitable translation, but I don't half wish I'd figured it out before. Alex's wolf name meant 'The Betrayer'.  
I gave it some thought. At the very least, I had to find out what was going on. This kind of accusation was not made lightly – and I knew that if something had happened to Kieran, _I _stood a fair chance of becoming the pack-leader. I was new enough as it was. I didn't want this to worry about as well.  
"Guard the edge of this clearing," I told them. "Don't let him leave, and if he does, stop him. Don't kill him."  
Once they'd taken up positions, I became a wolf again and followed the scent to Alex. He sat on his haunches in the den.  
"Kulim. Is there something wrong?"  
"Where is Kieran?" I asked him, approaching warily.  
"He did not tell me."  
"Then what is it that he is attending to?"  
"He did not tell me that either."  
"He must have told someone."  
"It is my thought that he was in too much of a hurry."  
I looked him in the eye and told him, "I do not believe you." This is considered a serious accusation as well. There aren't meant to be any secrets, remember.  
What was more serious was his scent. I recognised it, but now I caught it stronger I could tell there was a second scent with it.  
It was distinctly red, and tasted tinny – almost rusty. A very sharp scent, as if it's owner had come into contact with him recently.  
Alex didn't know I could tell this, or if he did he kept it well hidden.  
"What are your intentions now?" he asked me.  
"I will know the truth."  
"I do not intend to tell you."  
I moved to block the way out. If he wanted to leave, he'd have to go through me, and no wolf turns on his own pack lightly.  
"You will tell me, or you will answer to me." That was the challenge laid down.  
"You would not turn on me."  
"Then tell me what happened, and I will have no reason to."  
He appeared to consider it, then answered.  
"Kieran is held unharmed but safe a half-day's travel to the north of the grounds," he told me. "The pack is mine in his absence."  
"Why?"  
"I may be an adult, but the others do not accept me as such. They do not show it, but it is there. I am merely a child, and am treated as such. Now they will have to accept it."  
"And what relation is that to the scent on you?"  
"I do not know what you mean."  
"_They_ have left their scent on you."  
"They hold Kieran for me."  
"You made a deal with _them_? How could you?"  
He hesitated, then, "I had no choice. Kieran would not intervene. He would leave me to suffer as a child until I grew of age as a human."  
"Impatience is never an excuse."  
"I make no excuses."  
"You will remain here. You are no member of this pack, but that is for the pack-leader to decide."  
"And where will you go?"  
"I will get him."  
"I will not allow you to do this."  
I'd have responded, but there was no point. He'd already gotten to his feet and approached, baring his teeth and snarling at me.  
"_Kiqadah_!" he snapped at me. No, that's not a misspelling, though it's hard to tell a lot of the time. I refuse to even try to find a translation for it. It's enough to know it's one of the stronger insults in our language.  
Alex was bigger than I was only because he'd been a werewolf longer than I had. I couldn't match him on power because of that. I had to find another way to force him to submit.  
If I'd been human, I'd have held my ground – but I was wolf, and my primary instincts were that of a wolf.  
So in the best wolven custom, we circled the den opposite each other, each paw placed down silently and purposefully, eyes never leaving my opponent, waiting for the strike or the right time to strike.  
He made the first strike, making a dash. I rolled aside almost as soon as he started, turning sharply and making my own strike for his flank. My aim struck true, and I nipped at him. I could have harmed him a lot more, but I wasn't trying to kill him. All I'd leave him with from this would be a small bite to one leg.  
We circled again. Now he'd made the first attack, custom dictated that I struck first the next time round, then it would alternate again. Did I we're sticklers for customs? It makes us a bit predictable, but it's worked for as long as it has.  
Again I aimed for his side, trying to get a hold on his leg. He moved aside before I caught it, but not quick enough; I got hold on his back leg instead. He threw me off by distracting me, biting at my neck. He only caught me lightly, but I'd tasted blood. It was more than I'd intended, but it had the right effect. He slowed down, putting less weight on that leg.  
It also threw off his lunge at me on his next strike. I took advantage of that, and one of his front legs gave way. If he'd changed to human at this point, he'd be left with a collection of bites around his hips and legs, and a broken, if not at least severely cut arm.  
"Submit!" I barked at him. "I do not wish to kill you!"  
"I would rather die honourably than submit to the humiliation of punishment," he answered. There was no malice in his tone – there was no chance of it, either. Wolves don't let their emotions control them so easily. We might get angry, but it's kept under control and turned into more fuel to turn against our opponents.  
"Do not force my hand, Kordoch." It was the first time I'd used his wolf name, in the hopes it would get his attention. It worked. "Remain here. I will speak to Kieran, and see what may be done for you."  
"There is nothing that may be done. I betrayed the pack. I told them when to attack the town. I told them you were in danger, and arranged for you to become an adult."  
"Why?"  
"You are the last werewolf to be brought in the old way. All the rest of the pack have been born this way. You are an outsider still, and we do not need the likes of you to help us."  
"Why did you arrange it that way?"  
"I had hoped they would kill you, that we would be pure of outside influence again."  
"Are you so proud that you would deny yourself the only way to ensure your survival?"  
He didn't answer. Instead he lay on the ground to show his submission, and licked at his wounds. He'd stay here.  
I left him, informed my pack-mates of what had happened, then headed north. I had to get Kieran back. I would have taken them with me, but there were still too few there. I'd have to hope I could handle whatever waited for me alone.

I love to run as a wolf. It's a tireless kind of running that I feel like I could do endlessly. With my friends still unaware of what I am, I don't get to do it often. When I do though, I make the most of it.  
This trip was overshadowed by the more serious nature of the mission. Kieran was held by several vampires to the north, and I had to rescue him. I had no idea what to expect, no idea what I'd find, but I had to do it. He was my pack-leader, and if he was still alive then it was my duty to get him out.  
His scent, and that of several vampires, grew stronger the further north I went. My initial sensory boost from having just become an adult was beginning to fade, but I still retained enough that I was beginning to identify and separate the scents of the vampires. They all shared the same scent, but there were subtle differences between them.  
Along the way, I was joined by a great white wolf with glowing red eyes. He had no scent that I could find, but he wasn't hostile so I let him run with me.  
"How is it with you?" I asked him politely.  
"It is not well, but that is of no moment. What is it you are intending to do in this range?"  
"My pack-leader is held by our hated enemy, and if he lives it is my duty to come to his aid."  
"A worthy and noble cause. How are you called?"  
"I am known among the wolves as Kulim."  
"Then we are well met, Kulim. I am Kathann." Oddly, this word has no translation at all. I've tried many times, but I've never even found a starting point.  
I knew already that this wolf was not a werewolf. His tone and dialect, while not unrecognisable, were different enough to identify him as a true wolf – though I later discovered he was much more than that.  
"May I ask what it is that you do in this range?" I asked him.  
"I regret that I must keep that to myself."  
"Then may I perhaps distract you from that which you wish to do for a time?"  
"What is it that you wish of me?"  
Wolves are very formal and are easy to offend if you make a mistake. I had to word my answer very carefully.  
"I would request that you consider aiding me in my cause. I am but a single wolf, and am uncertain of what I might face when I find my pack-leader, and am concerned that a single wolf may not be enough. Even if I must face it alone, I would of course do everything I have strength to do, but your aid in my cause would allow me to achieve my ends in less time, and thus be leaving your range in the same."  
If you didn't get that, I just asked him to help because it meant I'd be out of his pack's territory sooner.  
"I understand your concern, but believe you are more than capable of handling the task at hand. You may not be a true wolf, but I know of a thing you may do that will aid you in your cause however."  
"May I ask what this thing is that you know?"  
He did something curious, a few changes in his expression and body language, and then I found I did know. He'd taught me the technique other werewolves used in their Hybrid form.  
"Good luck in your cause," he told me. "May the wolf-god be with you."  
And then he veered off on his own way and was gone. It had been a strange encounter, but was very useful.  
The trails led to an old stone tower deep in the forest. It was heavily mossed over, and the wooden top had long since rotted away. The door at the bottom was freshly installed though, which made it suspicious.  
Unfortunately for whoever put it in, they'd forgotten to build a new frame. A few moments in my newly acquired Hybrid form tore it from the rotting frame. I was careful not to make too much noise.  
I decided to stay in this form for now – if I was dealing with vampires, I'd need the technique Kathann had taught me.  
Inside the tower was dark, but I didn't need light to tell what was here. A few mouldering bits of wood, a rotting corpse in one part that smelled strongly like it was a recent snack for a vampire, and a skeleton in another place.  
There was a spiral staircase that lead upwards to the next floor and beyond. The tower was only tall enough for two other floors before the top. The first floor I came to had a few more recent snacks – one of them still warm. I swore a brief oath of vengeance for the poor souls. There would be a few less vampires to feed by the end of the day.  
The second floor was totally deserted. I paused to find out what was above.  
There were two of them. One of them was the one who'd fed very recently.  
"Watching over this mutt is boring," one of them stated. "I'm hungry."  
"Stop complaining. You're getting paid for this."  
"Paid," he snorted. "The Master hasn't paid us anything for years."  
"Watch your tongue... he might be listening."  
"Who cares? It's hardly worth it." They were quiet for a few moments, allowing me to hear the shallow breathing of a wolf or werewolf. "That's it. I've had it, I'm going to find someone to feed on."  
"You're not due to leave for another hour."  
"So what?"  
"I'll tell the Master."  
"You wouldn't dare."  
I was certain there was just the two of them there, and from listening to them I had a fair idea of where they were as well.  
I crept up the steps to the top floor. Kieran was there, held in a tiny cage made of metal bars that was barely big enough for him even in his own wolf form. I gestured for him to keep silent, then crept up behind the two vampires.  
The first had piped down with the other's threat to tell their Master, and they now stood looking out over the forest canopy. It covered the view to the forest floor, so even though they were looking the same way I'd come, they had no idea I was here at all.  
I tapped the first – the hungry one - on the shoulder.  
"What do you want now – oh, no." His last words were hardly suitable. He crumbled into dust as soon as I jerked my hand down again. I'd used Kathann's technique on them. A short, sharp jab into the chest, grab hold of the heart, and the jerk downwards kills them – permanently.  
"What's scaring you now?" the other asked, turning around.  
"Me," I snarled at him, then I dealt with him too.  
"You are a welcome sight," Kieran told me as I pulled apart the cage. It was difficult, but I managed to free him. He changed to his human form, stretching out aching limbs as he did so.  
"What happened to you?"  
"Alex told me there was an injured wolf just outside our grounds. He told me he had something else to see to in the wrong direction, but had promised the wolf I'd come to his aid. If there was a wolf, it had gone by the time I'd got there, and a trap laid in it's place."  
"Alex set the trap."  
"What?"  
I explained the situation to him as we left.  
"He's seeing things that aren't there," he told me. "The pack treats him as an adult, I've checked that myself. It's all in his head."  
"Go easy on him," I asked. "I told him I'd talk with you about it."  
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm the pack-leader. I may have to make a harsh decision because of this. Now tell me how you found your way here."  
Now I told him about my becoming an adult, the vampires that distracted us, then the pack bringing their concerns to me and my challenge to Alex.  
"I refused to kill him. He's been like my guide to our kind since that first night here."  
"A nice thought, but you put yourself at risk. If you hadn't forced him to submit before you left, I'd have to discipline you as well."  
"I know the custom."  
"Tell me something else, Sora. What name did Alex give you?"  
"You don't know? He told me you'd given him permission for the whole thing."  
"Believe me, I didn't. I'd planned to do it myself, but then the trap..."  
"Yeah. He named me Kulim."  
"'The Last'. Curious. I wonder if it's any relation to Kairi."  
"I developed another theory on the way here, actually."  
"Lets hear it."  
"When I was talking with Alex, he mentioned that I was the only one not born a werewolf."  
"You think it might mean you are the last human turned?"  
"It seems possible."  
He nodded assent, then turned back into a wolf.  
"We should hurry back."  
I joined him, and we followed the same route back again.  
Along the way, Kathann joined us once more.  
"I see you were victorious in your mission," he greeted me.  
"You were correct in your assessment of my abilities. I thank you for your aid."  
"It was no matter." He turned to Kieran. "We are well met once more, old friend."  
"We are indeed. What is the aid that you gave to Kulim?"  
"I taught him the same technique I taught Kamaz."  
The implications of this statement sent me mentally reeling. Kieran had told me it was taught to the werewolves by the first Kamaz, by the wolf-god. And if that was true... this was the wolf-god.  
"He performed it well for one who has only recently become an adult."  
"You are aware that he knows who I am now?"  
"I had noticed his becoming aware of this."  
"I wish to see him at the ritual when Luna peaks next."  
"One will explain what is required for it to him."  
"You have my gratitude."  
He veered off and left us again.  
"Was he really..."  
"Kathann, the wolf-god, and the other one we honour in the ritual."  
"And the Kamaz he mentioned..."  
"Was the first to bear the name. He must see something special in you, Kulim. It is rare that he appears to our kind in person."  
I felt honoured. The wolf-god had not only chosen to appear to me, but helped me come to Kieran's aid and then asked me to take part in the ritual.


	9. Chapter 9

It was noted that I've been using Right instead of Rite when it came to the Right of Passage.  
It's deliberate – the Right of Passage isn't just the transition to adulthood, it's a young wolf claiming his right to become an adult. It's been that way since... well, before even werewolves, I imagine. I've never asked a true wolf if they do it too.  
Besides, 'Rite' has a slightly different meaning to wolves. There's only one Rite, and no werewolf wants it to happen. Rather interestingly, neither to the vampires usually – not that they haven't tried a few times.  
There you have it. Interesting little side note for you.

Kathann's choice to appear to me was meant to be kept completely secret, but then this was a pack – there were no secrets. By morning, the entire pack knew exactly what I'd been up to and who I'd met along the way.  
Kieran spoke to Alex. I have no idea what they said, but he apparently decided that he should pay more attention to his pack-leader in future. He did have to apologise to everyone he endangered, a significant loss of status and respect within the pack, but as we hadn't lost anyone in any of the attacks he helped the vampires organize he was let off with only a warning.  
Kairi, on the other hand, was not so forgiving. As far as she knew, I'd just vanished with a fair number of the locals for almost an entire day, and come back with a few nicks on my neck. Alex had bitten it slightly during our scuffle, remember.  
I guess I can forgive her for being worried about me, but really, I can take care of myself. I am a grown wolf now after all, and no sensible person crosses an adult wolf. Vampires excepted, but then I've never met a sensible one.  
She really didn't like it when I couldn't come up with an explanation though. I couldn't tell her any more now than I could before. I hate that restriction, but since this is the only way around it...  
Anyway, I had a few days before I got to take part in the ritual. It seemed like only a a few days before that I'd become a werewolf under the light of the full moon, and now the next one was due so soon after.  
I was shown to the place where the ritual would take place. It lay on the edge of the grounds of the original wolf pack that had been here when the first Kamaz had persuaded the wolf-god to watch over us. Kieran explained what I'd need to know, what I'd have to do and what to expect – though it's hard to know what to expect when you know you're coming face to face with a god.  
Long before, there had been some kind of massive earthquake that caused the cliff to sprout and separate the forest on top from the forest that now lay below. That forest stretches on further than you can see.  
That cliff is important though, because along it's entire length there's only one place where it's grey rock sticks out enough to hang over the forest below with an incredible view. Well, if you like looking at the tops of trees, anyway.  
Originally, there would have been five werewolves, each of different packs, chosen for the ritual. Four of them would be on other cliffs elsewhere, but the one who sat on this crag was the one who started and finished the entire thing.  
Since there was only one pack left though, only one werewolf was needed. The other four that would appear, each on a kind of ghost of a crag, were actually deceased werewolves brought back by Luna's light to take part. You might think of her as just a rock in space hanging above you, but she's just a bit more than that to us. Luna is what allows us to be what we are, among other things.  
Normally there's no outsiders allowed even near this spot – it's one of the few remaining places that are important to us left, and are protected like the sacred grounds used to be, preventing entry to anyone who isn't a werewolf – unless they're invited. So normally, no one's ever seen the ritual without also taking part – let alone understand it. This means you're the first outsiders who get to find out.  
As the other wolves would need Luna's light to appear, either a clear night, or a big enough break in clouds is always needed. The night I went there to take part, it was clear enough that I didn't need to wait.  
The ritual starts with the first howl, in remembrance of every werewolf that has sat there before, and in signal to the other participants. It's the only one of the three where any kind of personalization is allowed, and in my case I've always added the hint of what I gave up when I became one. When it faded, the other wolves on the crags hanging in mid-air, were there waiting.  
The second howl between us honours Luna, asking her to continue allowing us to be what we are, and give us the power to do what we do. It's definitely necessary. I once had to miss the ritual. Kathann understood, but Luna isn't so forgiving. I spent most of the time until the next ritual stuck as a wolf, unable to change form, and being very ill. That took a lot of explaining afterwards, and I swear being a wolf for so long has affected my mind a bit, and not in a good way.  
It's at this point that the original ritual ended, but we still had one more thing to see to. Kathann and Luna work together at this point, or so I'm told. He is only allowed to appear in very restricted circumstances, so the second howl also summons him. Each of the crags is connected to each other with a string of light until each is connected to all the others. When that's finished, Luna allows him to take on the familiar form of the white wolf with red eyes in the centre of the resulting design.  
On an interesting side note, I've discovered the strands of light actually vary in colour depending on my health and mood, and Kathann's mood. I'm not sure if the other wolves have any effect on it as well, but it makes for some strange light displays when the glow plays on the canopy of the forest below. While I don't like being ill, the greenish light that caused it to have once was one of the more unusual ones.  
Anyway. I'm getting sidetracked again.  
The third and final howl between all six of us is not only in honour of Kathann himself, but every wolf who has lost their life, every pack member who is no more, werewolf and wolf alike. Kathann's own howl isn't just his own, it's the howls of all of those wolves together, the howls of every wolf who chooses to join in... a lot of them. It's like listening to a choir of howls.  
When this last howl fades, the ritual is completed until the next full moon, Kathann continues to watch over us, and Luna goes on allowing us to be what we are.  
Sometimes though, between the second and third howls, Kathann has something he passes on to those present. This was one of those times. While the entire conversation we had isn't fully translatable, I'll do my best.  
"It is good to see you again. I trust you are well?"  
"I am in good health."  
"You are aware of the meaning of your name?"  
"'The Last'," I repeated, then added, "Is it of significance that the name of my companion Kairi has a meaning related to it?"  
"It is of significance. You are the last of the werewolves to be turned rather than born, the last newcomer into the last pack. There is more, but I may not reveal what Time has in store."  
"Then am I to understand that there will be no new pack of werewolves formed?"  
"There are no longer enough werewolves to sustain a second pack, and I am not willing to let the unchanged men suffer as they do while the threat to your kind still remains."  
"So what will happen to the werewolves?"  
"I may not reveal that. Know however that you must steel yourself for what is to come, lest your foe bring you low by means of your own weakness."  
"Who is it that I must slay to end this conflict?"  
"The first vampire, the unholy knight so cursed by Mother. He lives on to this day, the oldest of his kind driving the rest of his kind into unending conflict until you live no more."  
"Where is he? Where is my prey?"  
"That I may not tell you, and you are not yet ready to face him. You are as nothing to him now, but in time you will gain what you require."  
There was a part here which I can't translate properly. We discussed a few customs he asked me to observe, then gave me a task to attend to after the ceremony. I'll get to that in a bit. Then before he disappeared again, he left me with one final warning.  
"Beware of fire, Kulim – you must ensure the safety of your companions if it becomes a threat. Fear not for your pack, but for them."  
This warning contradicted pack instincts, but he must have felt there was a good reason to overrule it.  
My first stop on the way back to town was our grounds, and Kieran's den. He wasn't expecting me, but Kathann had given me a single, seemingly simple task.  
"I need to know something, revered pack-leader," I greeted him.  
"What is it that you need to know?"  
"I have been told you know of a plant called Aconitum, and need to know it's effects."  
"Wolfsbane? On who?"  
"_Them_ and us."  
"It is a deadly poison to both our kinds. More so than any unchanged human. It is the only way to permanently kill one of them outside of our own means." He regarded me for a few moments then continued, "This is not something that should be known lightly. Why is it you ask for it?"  
"I've been told I cannot disclose that."  
"Kathann told you this." I just nodded my assent. "Whatever it is you must do, be very careful. If you endanger the lives of this pack..."  
"I will not."  
"That is not enough, Kulim. I require a clear confirmation."  
There's something else little known about us. If we give our word, no matter who it's to, we cannot break it. You might be able to break it, but we're completely incapable of it.  
What's kept even quieter is that if a werewolf swears an oath, not only is it also unbreakable, whatever it achieves must be done.  
So to give him his confirmation, I swore an oath that whatever I did with the Wolfsbane would never put the pack at risk. After that, even if I wanted to, I couldn't.  
Kieran satisfied, I returned to town. There was something else I wanted to see to while the pack was at the grounds. Custom said I should have been there, but this was important to me.  
I left the grounds and headed back to the town, then to the hotel. I had three visits to make.  
I visited Goofy first, getting his scent. I'd need it if Kathann's warning ever became true.  
Second was Donald. Unlike Goofy, he wasn't sleeping. I knew that, because as soon as I slipped through the flap into his room, he hit me over the head with something.  
Human words are difficult in the mouth of a wolf, but I gave it a try. I didn't want to scare him off with the hybrid form, and until Luna set I couldn't become human again. Besides, I wanted to warn him about something.  
"One wishes you would not do that," I told him. "I bear you no harm."  
"Huh? You can talk?" Well obviously, Donald. Did you think you were imagining it?  
"I would ask you to avoid the things that you do which use fire. There is great risk to all if you choose to ignore me."  
"What could appear here to make me use it? Another attack by those vampires?"  
"Pay attention to my warning," I told him, having caught his scent during the short conversation. I turned to leave, but he rather stupidly tried to catch hold and stop me. I snapped at him once, making him leave me alone, then finally left to pay a call on Kairi.  
Her room was empty, probably because she was in my room next door apparently looking for me.  
She looked up when I came in. Those flaps are hard to keep quiet.  
Interestingly, she wasn't afraid of me. Most people would be when faced with a fully grown wolf, but not her.  
"What are you doing here? Was it you I heard a moment ago?"  
I didn't really want to reply, not just yet. She sat on the bed to watch me, so I jumped up beside her.  
"You've got eyes just like Sora's... and a kingdom crown? That looks just like his. You didn't do something to him, did you?"  
Rather reluctantly, I answered, "I have not met him on this night."  
"You can talk?" Oh, come on. Once was bad enough. Is it really that surprising that people have to ask me to confirm it?  
"It places one's tongue at risk of being bitten, but I can."  
"Where did you get this then?" she asked, holding the kingdom crown up for me to see.  
"I have always had it."  
"You... you're not Sora, are you?"  
I wasn't allowed to say anything that was the truth here. I wished I could, but I couldn't. What I could do was not quite lie, but not quite tell the truth.  
"I am known as Kulim among my pack."  
"So there's others too... can they talk too?"  
I shrugged, which isn't easy for a wolf.  
"I guess not."  
She shivered in a brief breeze. This place was full of draughts. Being careful not to hurt her, I nudge d her into lying on my bed, then curled up with her. Having a lot of fur left me very warm, making me perfect to keep her warm.  
She gave me a warm smile, got comfortable and settled in.  
"Stay with me until Sora gets here?" she asked. I licked at her face in response, making her giggle, then we both settled down.  
I didn't even think about what would happen if she was awake when I changed back – or what she'd think waking up to me there instead of the wolf that was with her.


	10. Chapter 10

I discovered when I woke up in the morning that Luna has a sense of decency when it comes to werewolves around others not of their kind. I knew that because I was still the same wolf I had been when I'd settled in with Kairi.  
She too was still with me, of course, resting peacefully with an arm gently holding me nearby. While I'd have liked to stay with her, I needed to stretch, and I was also hungry.  
I nuzzled at her neck to wake her, and when that didn't work I licked at her face again. That worked.  
"Hey! Cut that out," she giggled at me. "I guess Sora didn't turn up, huh? Well, at least you stayed with me."  
As she got up, I gave a good stretch, yawned, then dropped down to the floor again.  
"You're going already?"  
"I must hunt," I answered. Actually, I had planned to change back and get a normal breakfast, but as I said it I realised I hadn't actually done any proper hunting. All in good time though.  
"You be careful then... and if you see Sora, tell him he better have an excuse for disappearing on me again."  
I nodded and left, feeling a little guilty about not being able to give her an excuse again. There wasn't much I could do about it though, so in the practical way of the wolf, I just set it aside and left it alone.  
Donald and Goofy were downstairs already. I could have tried to slip past them, but there didn't seem to be much point, so I just padded down the stairs as if they weren't there.  
Donald tried to stop me again, and backed off when I snapped at him again. Recognition dawned.  
"That was you last night, wasn't it?"  
"It was."  
"What were you doing with Kairi?"  
"He was keeping me warm," she told him from the top of the stairs. "He didn't do anything to me. Leave him alone."  
I amused myself a little by baring my teeth at Donald, making him step away thinking I might do something, but it was more playful than serious. I'd never really harm him.  
Several members of the pack looked curiously at me as I continued through the town itself, having not seen me the night before, and now like this in the morning. It was still early though, so not many were up.  
A werewolf I hadn't spoken to – at least not that I knew of – hailed me, and called me over. He turned out to be the town's butcher, and as you can imagine he had a fair amount of trade. All the the werewolves bar me had been born that way, so naturally had a preference for meat.  
I'd missed out on dinner last night at the grounds because of the ritual and spending time with Kairi, so was hungry anyway. The sight of the meat only added to that.  
Fortunately, our resident butcher wasn't above preparing some breakfast. He was already handling it for his family, I just got invited to join them. While I imagine they didn't mind, I found it somewhat disturbing that he made breakfast while he also carved various joints for display.  
We had freshly caught boar, as it turned out. I hadn't seen any in the woods, but he assured me they did roam there. Hunting them was no mean feat though, and their tusks made it risky. He told me even he'd had several injuries from hunting them, but that still hadn't put him off. The boar tasted better than I thought it would, incidentally. It's a bit like pig, but not quite. Try it yourself sometime.  
Breakfast over, he left his family to manage the store and asked me to accompany him.  
"You haven't done any hunting yet, have you?"  
"I keep meaning to get around to it. Something always seems to come up though."  
"Should come work for me," he grinned. "I could always use a hand. I'm going after a couple of good deer today, and thought you might like to join in the fun. It's always easier to bring in two when you've got help."  
"Guess I'll get to learn from the best, huh?"  
"Oh, I imagine you'll pick it up easily, Kulim. It comes second nature almost as soon as you find your prey." He glanced over at me as he said it, then added, "Something up? You look uncomfortable about something."  
"It's just a bit odd to hear my other name while I'm human."  
"You're lucky. You've got a choice."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Some of us don't have human names, like me. All I have is Kadach."  
"Kadach? I know you now, you're the one who visited me that night, aren't you?"  
"I'm surprised you remember me. I never told you my name."  
"Kieran did that for you the day after when I went to visit him."  
"I know. You asked my mate for directions to his house."  
"Really? I didn't know."  
He chuckled and looked around.  
"It looks like your friends aren't around. We'll change here and run on to the woods."  
He and I were almost matched for size, but he was clearly stronger than me. All his hunting and work as a butcher probably contributed to that.  
I was a bit faster than he was though, giving us a kind of impromptu race to the edge of the forest. Once inside their reach though, we both slowed. Some parts of the forest are well known, but the areas with better hunting aren't safe to run through at speed. Rocks both small and large, rough terrain with sharp drops that you can't see until you're practically on top of them, and I'm sure those trees can jump out in front of you.  
Kadach led me to his favourite hunting grounds, fairly distant from both the town and the grounds. It was actually on the edge of the forest, and at the edge of a lake where they came to graze and get a drink. He warned me that sometimes wolves from another nearby range sometimes hunted here, and out of respect for them he always gave way for them if they showed up.  
He also hadn't been wrong about hunting. It's some kind of primal wolven instinct we just know.  
The deer were thick in this area, young and old, strong and not so strong, quick and slow. Kadach taught me how to pick out a suitable target.  
Their herd would protect the young in the heart, and the young generally weren't good pickings. Older ones were touchy, sometimes they made for good meat, but most of the time it wasn't worth it. The trick was to hide in a bush, laying low and watching carefully as they grazed or wandered, and to look for one that wasn't weak, had plenty of meat to them, and wasn't likely to get away quicker than I could run.  
We huddled under the bush for a long time watching them, then one of them caught my eye. He looked like the perfect prey, and was grazing on the outside edge of the herd.  
My senses flared, the smells filling my nose, the sounds my ears and the sights my eyes. None of the other senses mattered; this was what a wolf lived for.  
Concentration kept me even more still as I watched and waited some more until he drew close. I had the element of surprise, I knew had to make full use of it. I'd only have a small window of opportunity between breaking out of my cover and their reaction.  
Almost everything else filtered out of my perception entirely, letting me focus on the prey. My world consisted of him and me, nothing more.  
Then I saw my chance, and like a shot out of a cannon I bolted out of the bush with barely a single rustle and charged right for him.  
He also bolted before I reached him of course, and the rest of the herd scattered – but I paid them no attention. I had him in my sights, and I wasn't letting him get away.  
I knew by instinct what I had to do. I bit at the flanks until he ploughed thrashing to the ground.  
Then I had to bite down sharply on it's neck, letting me taste blood trickling out of the wound. I could feel it thrashing around strongly, but I kept my grip and bit down harder, jerking my head to tear at the neck, making the wounds deeper until it stopped moving.  
With the certain knowledge it was dead and a sense of pride about myself, the rest of the world seemed to come rushing back to me. Kadach had apparently used me as a distraction and taken advantage of the confusion I'd caused to catch himself another fine deer. The rest of the herd had already scattered, leaving us alone with our kills.  
We now faced the task of getting them back to town. Considering how far we were from there, this seemed like a long and hard task. While they were undoubtedly fine kills and would make prime meat, they were also heavy. As we hadn't brought any tools of any kind, we'd have to drag them back ourselves.  
Humans would craft a sled or just drag them along. Wolves also drag them back, usually without letting go once they've killed them.  
We on the other hand had an easy way out. We simply changed to our hybrid forms, picked up our catches, and headed back toward town, skirting the edge of the forest.  
Part way there, his children met him with a pair of sleds to take them the rest of the way in. Kadach calmly advised me not to change form, and when I asked why he merely pointed at my front. Some of the blood had trickled down into my fur. If I'd changed back like that, the blood would be on me and my clothes.  
The simple solution was to make a dash for a nearby river and wash ourselves off before we returned to help drag the two deer into the town. The pack saw them with us as we entered the town. I'd been proud of what I'd achieved when I made my kill, but I was even more proud when I saw the approving looks of the other members. They knew they'd have some excellent meat thanks to us, and I knew I'd helped feed the pack.  
There was one small dip in the high spirits as we passed the hotel. As we had returned to our human forms when we'd entered town, it was no surprise that I was recognised. Kairi stood outside with a face like a thundercloud and arms crossed. She didn't exactly seem happy to see me, and even less so when she caught the idea that one of the two deer was mine. This was going to take some explaining. I seemed to be doing a lot of that since becoming a werewolf, but it couldn't be helped.  
The attention dropped as we neared his store, and handled them into his cold storeroom.  
"See?" he said as we did so. "I told you it'd come to you naturally, and you did me proud."  
"I could get to like doing that. It's a bit of a thrill."  
"A bit? It's that thrill that got me so hooked on it that I took on the family business here. I love to hunt."  
"I can see why. That was..." I just couldn't find the words.  
"I know. You caught a better one than I did, you know. You should be proud."  
"I am... I just have to explain it to Kairi."  
"Tell her I hunted them, you just helped me get them back. Even running, it'd take you a fair bit longer to reach our hunting grounds while human."  
"That doesn't explain why she thinks I disappeared last night, and only just got back now."  
He thought for a moment, then came up with another solution. "I find boar are easier to hunt at night, and I brought one in last night. Tell her the same for that, and if she gets curious I can show her the boar."  
"I don't really like lying to her, Kadach."  
"I don't see much choice, Kulim. I did warn you that night you'd have to make a few sacrifices, change a few things. Alright, maybe not in so many words, but you knew what you were getting into."  
"Yeah, I know. It just doesn't seem fair. I can't tell her anything. It's like the vampire I killed in that attack – she doesn't know it was me. She doesn't know the wolf that kept her warm last night was also me, and now she'll never know I single-handedly brought us in a whole deer."  
He put a hand on one shoulder, showing he understood and sympathised.  
"If you ever want to vent about it again, just let me know," he told me gently. "I don't mind. I've done it before."  
"You have? When?"  
"This wasn't my pack originally, Kulim. My family and I migrated to here when our pack was all but wiped out by _them_. In that pack, the majority of members were like you. Only a handful were born into it."  
"I guess you understand a bit better than the others here then."  
"Of course. Go on. You ought to explain to your friends. I'll back you up if it comes to that, and the pack will back us both."  
"Thanks, Kadach. You're a real friend."  
"We're pack-mates. It's what we do for each other."


	11. Chapter 11

Kairi wasn't entirely satisfied with my explanation, but she at least seemed to accept it. It was enough to placate her enough that I wouldn't have to try to answer any more awkward questions.  
I didn't have time to do any more, because at that point another vampire attack broke out. This time it was bigger than before. They'd surrounded the entire town.  
The new Commander – new again, because Valgor's first replacement had also been slain – made his way in to negotiate. This time I was with Kieran when he met them.  
"What do you want now?" he asked their Commander shortly.  
"To negotiate terms of your surrender, of course."  
"Give it up. Do you really expect us to do that?"  
"No, but the Master insisted I try. I'm told you can either live subservient to us, or be wiped out. Personally, I have no problem with just killing you all, but I have to give you the choice."  
"Then do your worst, Vampire. We will never surrender, and never give up."  
"Oh good. I was rather hoping you'd say that." Then he turned to me. "I'm told the offer extends separately to you."  
I snarled defiance. Rather uncharacteristically, Kieran had ordered me to remain a wolf during this meeting. He seldom gave direct orders like that. This one had good reason though. While I remained a wolf, I wouldn't do anything rash because it wasn't sensible.  
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," the Commander told me. "But I suppose it was too much to expect. If you should change your mind-"  
"He won't," Kieran told him for me. "The pack is fiercely loyal to me. We will not go without a fight."  
"Then a fight you shall have. In the interests of fairness, we will attack at dusk tonight."  
"He's lying," I growled to Kieran as he left. I could tell he wasn't serious.  
"I know. I expected that. They're up to something else, I'm sure."  
"How do you know?"  
"Vampires don't get along, yet something's mustered enough of them to completely surround us."  
"Perhaps their Master ordered them to cooperate?"  
"Not even he could achieve this much cooperation, otherwise we'd have been wiped out long ago. No, they've got some kind of a plan." He closed his eyes and thought for a few minutes, then nodded to himself and addressed his daughter, sat nearby. "Round up all the young here, and gather enough werewolves t guard them. I want you to lead them to the safety of our grounds as soon as there's a break in their ranks."  
"How will you arrange that, pack-leader?" she asked him.  
"Kulim, I want you to lead an assault on their forces blocking the path. Make a gap for them to get through."  
She understood now, and departed to make the arrangements. Now I had a request to make.  
"Pack-leader, there is something else I would ask."  
"What is it?"  
"I would ask that several members in their Hybrid from take my companions to our grounds for their protection."  
"You'd have to explain to them what's going on."  
"I will see to that."  
"Then catch up with Katriana and tell her that she's to do that as well, then tell your companions."  
I knew by his inflections that Katriana was his daughter. I made to go after her, but he called me back.  
"Sora! Watch out for yourself out there. I don't need to remind you we need you."  
The sentiment was nice, but I was hardly going to be too reckless.  
It took me only a few moments to communicate the addition to Katriana, then I headed to the hotel. I almost forgot to change form as I went in, cutting it very close. For a moment I worried they'd seen me in an alternate form, but I was wrong.  
"What's the hurry, Sora?" Goofy asked, looking up with faint surprise.  
"There's another attack. Bigger than the last one. I've made arrangements to get you somewhere safer."  
"You're going to join in the attack, aren't you?" I nodded, answering Donald's question. "Let us help then."  
"You wouldn't be able to do anything to them. You couldn't do anything to that one who almost fed on you last time, these ones are no different."  
Behind me, three members in hybrid form came in.  
"Katriana let us know," one told me. "We're ready when they are."  
"Go with them," I told my friends. "You can trust them."  
"Are you sure, Sora? They look a bit..."  
"I know, I know. But I trust them, and you should too."  
"What about you? Will you be alright?" Trust Kairi to ask that, annoyed at me or not.  
"I'll be fine. Trust me. I'll find you as soon as I can after we deal with the attack."  
There was a howl from outside calling for me. Katriana was ready to go, and that meant the wolves I'd lead in my attack were as well.  
I reassured them one last time, then headed back out again and shifted form as soon as I was out of their sight, headed westwards to the edge. I nodded in passing to Katriana, the young and their guard ready and waiting. My own wolves followed me as I passed them to keep up with me.  
The vampires saw us coming and met our attack. Some of us changed form, some of us fought as we were. I changed form and carved through them easily, using the technique Kathann had taught me with deadly speed.  
"Spread out," I ordered my wolves. "Split into two groups and start eliminating both wings of their force."  
There was of course only one 'wing' – the ring they had around us. But our initial and unexpected assault had started to open a gap, allowing us to go both ways at once.  
The vampires weren't stupid though, and began to send their forces from other areas to reinforce where we were attacking. Kieran had expected this, and send reserves from the town out to the north, east and south to attack the now weaker areas.  
We finally made a hole big enough for Katriana to lead her group through and into the forest. As they passed, several of the guards joined us and a few went back into the town to see to it's defences. I saw the three hybrids carrying my friends to the safety of the sacred grounds. They'd be safe there – or so I thought.  
As we progress through their ranks, I smelled fire. The wolves on the northern front had returned to the village after meeting too great a resistance, and the vampires had followed, setting fire to buildings as they went along.  
I'd have gone to their aid, but I was methodically working my way through the southern wing.  
Then we had some unexpected support – the wolf pack that Kadach had told me about swung in from the north, and though they lacked the power of our hybrid form, they joined the attack and began to savage the rear of the vampire attack.  
With their aid, the part of the pack remaining in the town managed to break back out again to join the rest of us in the main attack, but the damage had already been done. The town was on fire, and an unlucky wind was blowing cinders and sparks into other buildings, setting them alight.  
Kathann had warned me about fire. It looked like my moving the others to our grounds had been a good move.  
Kieran led the wolves and the other wing of our attack round the vampires until we met up with the last of these vampires and cornered the Commander.  
"Go ahead – kill me. The Master has his way already," he taunted us.  
"What do you mean by that?" Kieran demanded of him.  
"Kieran," one of the true wolves caught his attention. "The forest!"  
We all looked. A plume of smoke rose from it. Fire. The attack had been a distraction.  
Without stopping to think, I left them and bolted for the grounds. The others could deal with the vampire Commander. My friends safety came first. I had to ensure this fire wouldn't claim them.  
The rest of the pack and the wolves followed, but I was faster than the lot, quickly outdistancing them and tracing the now-familiar route into the forest toward our grounds.  
There were vampires here too. They still couldn't enter our sacred grounds, but they didn't need to with them all on fire.  
The grounds were surrounded, meaning there was no escape for the wolves trapped there. My loyalties were divided in that instant – pack instinct told me to get them out, but Kathann had told me not to fear for the pack, but my friends.  
I decided to try and do both, locating the three hybrids that had brought my friends here. I assumed my own hybrid from and directed them to follow me, still carrying Kairi, Donald and Goofy.  
I tore through the vampires at the northern edge of the grounds until there was a gap again, then we set off again. There was only one place left I could be certain of their safety.  
When we drew close, I went on ahead and changed back to myself. The others deposited my friends, then returned to the grounds.  
"Come with me – quickly!"  
"What's going on?"  
"The attack was a trap, and I'm getting you to safety again," I answered.  
"But what about the wolves and everyone from the town?"  
"I'll be back to help them as soon as you're safe. Come on! We have to hurry, before they find us."  
I led them to the crag. The one used for the ritual.  
"Stay here. It's protected against them, and I don't think they know this even exists."  
"But Sora-" Kairi began to object.  
"Just stay here – please. I don't want to have to worry about you."  
"I will look after them," the familiar voice of Kathann announced. He stood nearby as wolf, though he spoke in the human tongue. "Your friends will be safe with me."  
I nodded, then headed back for the pack. I trusted him.  
I didn't have to worry about them anymore, but I did have to worry about the pack. They'd all headed to the grounds, and the grounds and surrounds were alight, and full of vampires.  
As I drew closer the smell of burning woodland, ashes and vampires grew stronger until I could smell nothing else and was forced to return once more to the hybrid form just to hold them at bay.  
There were too many of them to fight, but I had to try. I lost count of how many I killed just trying to break through. Some laughed, some taunted me, but all of them fell before me.  
Then without apparent reason, they broke off and left. The forest still burned, but there were no more vampires.  
The grounds were gone, scorched earth and burning branches all that was left. Werewolves in all three forms lay unmoving. Some had suffered because of the fire, some had been beaten by vampires. I didn't want to think what else they might have done.  
I could smell one still living though, and tracked them down. It was Kieran. He was in his own hybrid form, an impressive beast, but defeated all the same. One leg was clearly broken, the other trapped under a tree. He looked barely alive.  
A stray surviving twig snapped underfoot, and with surprising agility, he whipped around using his arms to peer at me, and I almost swore because of what I saw. They'd taken out his eyes.  
"Who's that? Who's there?"  
"It's me, Kieran."  
"Kulim? No. It's a trick. You can't fool me!"  
"It's really me, Kieran. You know my scent. Let me come close and you can tell."  
"What if you're lying?"  
"Then you'll be in prime position to kill me."  
He considered it, then nodded. I made sure he could smell me clearly, and he sniffed.  
"It is you... I'm sorry I doubted you."  
"What happened here?"  
"The vampires. They set light to logs and sticks, threw them in. Everything went up in flames."  
"Did anyone get out?"  
"No one. All gone. Some of the wolves got clear, but not many. You and me left now, and I'm not long left."  
"I'm sorry, Kieran. I should have been here."  
"Why weren't you here?"  
"Kathann told me that I had to see to my friends safety if fire threatened them. I didn't want to abandon the pack."  
"You did what was right, Kulim. Do two things for me."  
"What do you need done?"  
"First... avenge all those who perished here today."  
"I will, Kieran. I'll avenge them all."  
He nodded with a weak smile, then continued, "Then accept my final gift. You alone survived all this. You are truly the last, but you can be much more than that. I hereby name you Kamaz, champion of all werewolves."  
"Wha- Champion? Me?"  
"May the wolf-god be with you, Kamaz," he breathed. I sat with him for a long time after he'd passed away, then stood tall and made an oath of vengeance.  
"Of those who killed all my pack, those who killed my friends, I, Kamaz, the werewolf champion, swear to bring to an end!"  
The force of my conviction and the strength behind that oath were so great that the air around me rippled with a great wind, causing the fires around to flicker and some even to go out. It created a snowstorm of ashes and cinders around me, which in turn were blown away.  
Then with great rumbles, the skies opened and it rained a torrent down with crashes of lightning. That oath was the most powerful one ever spoken by any werewolf, and the power behind it... well, the effects were far reaching, to say the least.  
The oath made, I had other things on my mind. I still had to return to Kathann and meet up with my friends again.


	12. Chapter 12

I apologise for the delay in writing more. I found a little collection of distractions. I wouldn't have taken so long, but I had to give an excuse to go off alone, find them, and then wait for a few injuries to heal before I got back. Damn things are starting to get smarter.  
A lot of other things happened too, and writing about some of this isn't easy for me. I don't like to talk about it much. That said, as you know, I don't really have a chance to.  
You try seeing how you'd have done in my place, and tell me you'd have dealt with it any better than I did.

In just a few short hours, everything had changed for me.  
The town was gone, burned to the ground.  
The sacred grounds were gone, also burned.  
The pack was gone, and with them the protection that had existed over the grounds was gone too.  
Every werewolf, young and old, was gone – save only me.  
Kieran, with his last breath, had named me Kamaz, the werewolf champion. This only added to what I had available, bringing me more reserves of speed and power in my alternate forms and boosting my senses further still in all forms. The only form unchanged in appearance was my original human form, but that was only because I hadn't been born a werewolf.  
I was the last of my kind, alone and without any pack or allies. Oh, some true wolves might agree to help me, but they lacked the power I did when it came to the vampires, now my sworn enemies. I'd made an oath to avenge the pack on them, and I had every intention of fulfilling it.  
My first priority was to my friends though. Kathann had promised he'd keep them safe. He'd ordered me to ensure their safety before that of the pack's, and it had cost me the pack. He was meant to watch over us, now I wanted answers from him, so I turned back to a wolf to get their quickly.  
He was still sat guarding them on the crag used for the ancient ritual when I arrived. Somehow, he'd created a shelter for them to keep the rain off and a small fire for some warmth. Now they slept peacefully around it, all unaware of what had happened.  
He seemed to have a sense of surprise about him as I approached though.  
"You are alone? What of the pack?"  
"What pack?" I answered in a reproachful tone. "In saving them-" I jerked my muzzle toward the others, "I lost the pack."  
"Lost? All of them?"  
"Every last one. I'm the only survivor. Kieran was the last to go. He named me Kamaz before he went."  
"I cannot permit this," a new voice said. It was clearly feminine, and had archaic but commanding tones to it. A woman garbed in a flowing green robe strode out of the forest. As she did so, I had the sense of an immense presence. This was another god, no doubt about it. Kathann's presence was gentle, but this one was so powerful it was simply impossible for it to be gentle.  
"Mother," Kathann greeted the woman with deepest respect. "I have failed to safeguard their kind as I promised. Forgive me."  
"You are not at fault, child," she told him. "And neither does the fault lay upon you, Sora."  
"Then where does it lie?" he asked of her.  
"That is not a concern for either of you. You should return to your watch over wolves alone, my son."  
If that happened, I'd lose my only tools against the vampires. I had to step in, god or not.  
"Hey, wait a moment!" I broke in. "What about me? I'm still a werewolf."  
"I would rid you of that curse, Sora. There has been enough suffering because of the curses I laid upon men. There is no need for you to go the same way as the last pack."  
"I don't want you to take it from me!"  
"You are but one werewolf, against all vampire-kind. What can you do?"  
"I can fight. I'm the only one of the few left who can use a keyblade, but I still fight against all the Heartless. The vampires are no different to me, I'll take them on just like the Heartless."  
"You would follow a path of certain death just for the slim chance you may be able to make good on your oath?"  
She remained calm, but I wasn't going to stand for her seemingly casual dismissal of my talents.  
"It won't just be a slim chance. I'll do what I swore to do, and I'll keep on going until they suffer the same fate they think they've given my kind, and if I can't achieve it, then at least I'll have done the honourable thing and tried."  
"Yet I repeat; you are but a single werewolf. You would follow the rest of your kind into oblivion if you chose that path."  
Kathann's eyes lit up with an idea. "Not if I continued to watch over him. I will lend my strength to him."  
"This is not your fight, my son. You will stand down and out of it."  
"No! I will not – I will stand by his side and we will fight them together."  
"That is not permitted. We are not to directly get involved in the affairs of any world, Kathann. You know that."  
"Then _do_ something, Mother – or I will ignore the rules and give him every bit of aid I can."  
"Why?"  
"Through them, I have seen past wolves and into men. I understand them better than before. The vampires are a blight upon this land – they feed on men who are not as they are, killing them just to survive, and have no care for anyone but themselves. You cursed them, but they also curse the land with their very presence. I can no more permit them to continue to exist than I can permit you to take the gift that Kamaz has, even if it means bringing every wolf that exists into this."  
She regarded us, her expression still one of complete calm. Kathann stood silent beside me, having said his piece.  
"I swore an oath," I told her again. "I told Kieran I would avenge the pack, and I will. I swore to take out every vampire that exists, and I will. You can make me a normal human again, or leave me a werewolf, but either way I _will_ do what I swore to do."  
"Tell me, Sora," she said then. "Where do you honestly believe the blame lies?"  
I considered it, then with some hesitation, "With you. You are the one who caused both our kinds to exist."  
I expected to her take this badly – one does not lightly accuse a God – but to my surprise, she nodded. "The universe demands balance. If I do anything, something else must be done to counterbalance it. When I cursed one of the two armies that day, I had to curse the other as well."  
"I don't see it as a curse."  
"You have a different perspective to I."  
"If you could return me to human again though, why can't you just do the same to the vampires?"  
"While I have power in abundance, they are too numerous, and too wide-spread. If the first of them were no more, and they were gathered in one place, then I could remove the curse on all of them."  
"Why does he have to be out of the picture?"  
"He has lived for so long that he is immune to my power. He must be destroyed before I can do anything to the remaining vampires, and even then, if but a single vampire is not present, then they can bring them back once more."  
"I've got a plan."  
"Indeed? Can you guarantee it will work?"  
"Let me think. I challenge the old guy to fight me. Of course, I'm outmatched, so I'll tell him he'll have the chance to finish the last werewolf publicly, in front of their entire kind. If he's as arrogant as the rest, he'll do it. Then all I have to do is defeat him while they watch, and you can handle the rest."  
"It has the charm of being simple," Kathann noted. "I believe it would work, Mother. They are unaware of his survival, and think themselves victorious. If they found out otherwise, they would not hesitate to see the end in person, I believe."  
She regarded us once more, then nodded again.  
"Very well. I will lend you my own aid in your time of need only, Kamaz. Whatever I do, know that whatever I do must be counterbalanced, and you will bear the consequences – whatever they may be. The destruction of such an ancient being as your prey demands equal balance."  
The implications of that did not exactly suggest the best outcome, but it was all I needed to do what I promised.  
"I too will continue to lend you my aid, my tactics and the hybrid form I gave to the werewolves," Kathann told me. "A worthier werewolf I have never met."  
The woman touched her fingertips to each of our heads. For a very brief moment, I had the sense of an immense mind brushing on my own, then it was gone. She turned and headed back into the forest. She seemed to fade into them, until she wasn't there any longer.  
"Join me in remembrance of all those who lost their lives today before I too leave," Kathann asked me.  
"What of my friends?"  
"They will not awake. Mother's power still abides here. She will ensure they are not disturbed by this."  
"Wait."  
"What is it, Kamaz?"  
"Where is he? I have to know."  
Kathann regarded me gravely for a long time, the only sounds that of the fire crackling, the rain hissing and my friends sleeping. Donald still snores. Don't let him tell you otherwise.  
"Run for two days to the east of the Sacred Grounds," he told me at last. "There you will find a fortress-town. The inhabitants are all human until you reach the castle in the centre. The Vampires use the humans there as feeding stock."  
"That's horrible."  
"They induce belief in the humans that it is in their better interests – a small literal blood tithe in exchange for protection from everything. Is this all you require?"  
I nodded, trusting he was right about my friends not awaking. Then we lifted both our muzzled and gave a great howl for all the wolves and werewolves that were no more. When our howls faded he had gone, leaving me alone with my friends.  
I didn't sleep that night. It's hard to sleep after seeing an entire pack wiped out, and harder knowing that I could have made a difference. At the time, I blamed myself for what happened. It took me a while to get over that.  
I spent most of it staring into the embers of the fire Kathann had created. The plan I'd come up with was typical of me, not thought out, minimal planning, and just a spur of the moment idea. It turned out to be one of the last ones I ever made that way.  
When it started to grow light, I figured some breakfast was in order and hunted down another deer. I'd have tried going for a boar, I certainly felt the need to take out stress and anger on something, but it was still probably too much for me to handle.  
I didn't prepare it around the others, it would have left me with strange questions. Instead, I tried to remember what I'd seen while with Kadach, taking some of the better meat, then built up the fire a bit more and started to cook on it. It's not as easy as it sounds.  
I didn't say much when they woke either, and I didn't eat anything. I'd taken my fill from the deer before I started cooking it.  
They knew something was wrong, but I wouldn't talk about it. After a few short answers, they stopped asking. We went back to the remains of the pack's town, and I attempted to ensure their safety before I left again. We carefully avoided where the grounds were. I wanted to spare them the sights those there had suffered.  
There were, of course, objections to my insistence on going off alone again, so I told them I wouldn't be gone long, and that all I was doing was looking for any survivors again. I don't think they really believed me, to be honest, and I ended up sneaking out again. That happens a lot – I sneak out, Kairi takes me to task when I get back. I used to promise not to do it again, but I broke that promise quite often.


	13. Chapter 13

My spur of the moment, minimally thought out plan, of course, went wrong on me. I should have thought it through, but I didn't want to waste time. I went after them as soon as I could.  
But I'm getting ahead again.

I'd never headed eastward from the town except the one time I went hunting with Kadach. I cleared that area quickly, and from there on I was in unfamiliar territory.  
For the most part, it looked fairly normal. The great plain continued, though in places it seemed to give way to marshy areas. I avoided them. Getting wet was one thing, but marsh water isn't so nice, and the smell of some of them...  
There were trees dotted around, of course, but even they seemed fewer in number, and were mostly either dead or just stumps in the ground.  
By the end of the first day of running, I'd covered a lot of ground. There was absolutely nowhere safe to stay though, no cover, nothing I could use to give me some warning. Staying as a wolf was out of the question. Any vampire who saw me would know exactly what it meant.  
All those I'd met so far – well, those that I'd actually managed to talk with for a few moments – seemed to recognise me in my natural form too, meaning no matter what form I took I was going to be at risk.  
In the end, I found a tree with plenty of branches, climbed it and stayed up there in my own form. The tree offered little in the way of cover, but it was the best I could do. I had to take some risks if I was going to reach the vampire's keep. The best I could hope for was that anyone who did try to reach me would make the tree rustle enough to wake me.  
In best habits ever since then, it was a troubled sleep. My dreams seemed influenced by the nightmare of what had happened to the pack, seeing it from their point of view instead of my own. The vampires were all familiar too, always looking like the ones I'd killed. What made the nightmare worse was that I seemed to be able to hear, to smell, to feel everything. I won't go into that. It's not pleasant as it is, and they did use some nasty means to deal with the pack.  
I woke with a start before dawn had broken, and ended up falling out of the tree. Not the best start to the day. I had managed to make it through most of the night without incident it seemed, so at least it wasn't all bad.  
There was no way I was getting back to sleep after that, so I decided I might as well set out again.  
It was just as dawn broke I saw the top of their fortress starting to claw it's way above the horizon.  
I will never understand vampires. They're part-dead or something, I get that. But what in their diseased minds makes them think that black is a good colour for everything? That already ugly construct of theirs just looked even more ugly in black. I suppose it could be so it's harder to see at night, but since more of them stick to the preconceptions of vampires and get up at night, the lights are always on, which means they're still easily visible.  
Personally, I just think they're stupid, but I'm prejudiced so my opinion doesn't count for as much.  
As that fortress started to loom higher, the marshy areas stopped appearing, and farmlands started appearing. The buildings were all made of black stone, naturally.  
I paused briefly at one of those farmsteads, taking my natural form instead so I wouldn't raise any suspicions. The farmers were all afraid of something they wouldn't talk about, and steadfastly refused to look at or talk about the castle. No information coming from them to help me.  
Their resident cooks did give me breakfast though, which was at least some consolation. Slightly over-boiled vegetable soup isn't exactly the best breakfast, but it was better than nothing.  
While I was with them, I began to form a plan. During one of my visits with Kieran, he'd mentioned that they could pluck thoughts from any mind, turning anyone into a spy. This suggested to me that they had to pick the people they wanted to do that to, rather than just pulling a kind of mental net through every mind in range. That gave me one edge, they might know I was coming, but they didn't know where I was. It seemed unlikely that these farmers put me at any kind of risk.  
To be safe though, I decided that when I left I'd circle around through the farmlands to come in from either the north or south, instead of from the west – that would be what they expected. After all, they think of us as just simple-minded dogs.  
Don't try calling me that yourself though – not unless you want to see what your own face looks like after I take it off you.  
I was still faced with two problems – getting in, and getting in without being recognised. There didn't seem to be any way around either of them. I took a risk again on the second one and hoped that only certain vampires actually knew about me. As to the first... well, I'd think of something. Before I got to the gates, hopefully.  
I gave thanks to the cooks before I left the farmstead again. They still eyed me suspiciously, and I ignored it. There wasn't much I could do about it. If I had my way though, by the time I was done here they wouldn't have to live in fear any longer.  
This close to people, I didn't dare change form unless it was absolutely necessary. It slowed me down, but couldn't be helped. I aimed to reach the path to the southern gate, having to cross fields and go through paths that were hardly more than just a well worn bit of ground. Several times I was run off fields. Apparently not all the locals appreciated random people wandering through their land.  
It was when I reached the main route in I found my way in. Several wagons loaded with wheat were headed toward the gates. The gates were guarded, of course, but the guards didn't seem to be checking the carts. Poor security, but good for me.  
I drew back from the road, trying to get out of sight. I had to peer through a few windows, and look around to make sure no one would see me, then I changed back to a wolf and took the risk of being seen, running out into the road and jumping into the last wagon, quickly hiding myself under it's cargo. I didn't change back just yet, as my better senses told me more, letting me build an image of what was around me.  
It was very tense, having to wait under there while the wagon creaked and bumped along to path to the town around the fortress. Any number of things could have gone wrong. It's fortunate I was a wolf at the time, because like so many other things, the nature of the wolf simply sets aside things that aren't worthwhile, such as worrying about things there's nothing to be done about. Wolves are very practical creatures because of this.  
The wagons paused at the gates. They were apparently kept closed unless something – or someone – needed to get in or out. There was a short discussion with the guards over their cargo and something about showing the proper papers, then the gates clattered open and we continued in. I was almost at the heart of enemy territory now, but I couldn't let overconfidence get the better of me. I had to stay alert, or I'd get myself caught. This was possibly the most risky part so far.  
The wagons made their way through the town, their destination I didn't know. I kept my ears open, listening intently. The townsfolk, like the farmers earlier, all had a hint of fear in them. With so many around, I could almost smell that fear. They seemed to lead relatively normal lives, once the vampires were discounted.  
There was one moment where that couldn't be ignored though, as we passed near a market area. I overheard a conversation that only made me more determined to finish this.  
There was someone crying, clearly upset, then, "Whatever is the matter?" a male voice asked.  
"It's Rosie," the crying woman replied. "They came for her. She wouldn't go with them."  
"What happened? She didn't try to fight them did she?" There was a pause, where I assume the woman nodded. "What did they do to her?" he went on, his voice weak.  
"They cornered her, then... then they..." she broke off, sobbing harder. There was a longer pause, then she continued, "They took everything off her, then they just..." she stopped again. Just as the wagons were leaving my hearing range of them, I heard her finish, "They had their way, then they killed her."  
I was very close to bursting out of my cover right there and then to do something about this, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't trace the scent of those who'd done it, because I'd be seen and discovered. I couldn't just randomly kill people here, because not all of them were vampires. I had smelled a few, but with so many people around, it was too hard to tell who was and who wasn't.  
When the wagons stopped, it was outside some kind of warehouse. Taking care to be quiet, I retreated out from my cover, listening intently and smelling the air. There didn't seem to be any vampires around, only the wagon drivers, and none of them could see here, so I jumped down, quickly returning to my own form and headed down the street trying to look as if I'd been there all along. I had no idea where I was in the town or where this street would lead me.  
I wandered around a lot, trying to look as if I lived here like the rest of them, and trying not to react whenever I caught that faint, tinny tell-tale scent. It wasn't easy.  
Finally, I emerged onto one of the main thoroughfares, which lead directly up to the home of my enemy. At the top of this wider street was the main entrance, so as I neared the guarded entrance, I found a side street that let me get closer to the base of the fortress so I could look around the outside, to see if there was any other way in.  
There wasn't. I'd have to go through the main entrance, and I knew those guards would never let me through, even if they did know what I was. I was so close now! There had to be another way in. Surely even they had to eat or drink like everyone else, right? So how did it all get in?  
Well, food would have to be delivered in, I guessed, but what about water? How did their... waste water get out again?  
Of course, there had to be sewers. I didn't like the idea of going through them, but it gave me a way in, and that was what I needed.  
Keeping track of my position in relation to the fortress, I searched for a way in. There were manholes, but they were all out in the open, no way to get into them without being seen, and there would be a lot of people who'd see me. I'd have to find another way.  
As it happened, that way found me. While I'd been looking, I had forgotten to pay attention to those around me, so when I paused to think of another way in, a pair of guards – human, thankfully – came up behind me and roughly took hold of me.  
"You're not from around here, are you?" one asked me.  
"Uh, no," I answered, trying to hide surprise. "I just got here today."  
"We know," the other said. "Got your ID on you?" ID? I hadn't heard anything about this while I'd been around.  
"No, not yet."  
They shared a look behind my back.  
"Here's what we're gonna do then. You're gonna come with us up to the Lord's castle, and get you one, and you're gonna be all docile and quiet like."  
"I won't be any trouble," I assured them. They'd kindly provided precisely what I wanted. I'd have to do something about them before they got me to any vampires, otherwise I'd have a slight problem, but I'd deal with that when I got there.  
"Sure you won't. We're armed, and you're not."  
"Don't need to threaten me. I'll behave myself."  
That seemed to unnerve them even more.  
Fortunately, I'd been wandering around near the entrance anyway. They passed a brief explanation to the guards on duty, who gave me some threatening looks, but seemed not to know who I was. I didn't want to think about what might have happened if they had.  
I was lead into the fortress, through a maze of corridors. The scent of vampires was strong here. When that got almost overpowering, I knew there was one nearby and I had to act quickly.  
With one quick movement, I shifted into the Hybrid form and slammed each of the guards against the walls. It made a dreadful noise, but it incapacitated them.  
Then I returned to being a wolf and darted down another corridor. Every time the smell of them grew stronger, I changed course for another route, trying to find somewhere I could hide, anywhere to wait until the commotion I'd caused passed.  
I didn't find one. They cornered me first, but that wasn't the end of it. Instead, I just shifted once more into the Hybrid form and started dealing with them. If I couldn't reach their Master by stealth, then I'd force my way there.  
It was as I fought my way through those vampires and back out into the corridors that I found out why Kathann had told me to find out about Wolfsbane. It wasn't so I could use it – it was intended to be a warning about it.  
They managed to get my attention by coming at me head on in great numbers, which distracted me from a single one behind me that managed to snap a kind of cuff around one of my legs, made from the awful stuff.  
Wolfsbane is deadly to both our kinds, but only when eaten. When it only comes into contact, it has very different effects.  
The moment it touched me, I was forced back to my human form by it, and felt very weak. I couldn't change form, and I couldn't seem to find enough strength to do anything.  
Sapped of strength, and left too weak to do anything, I don't know what I expected them to do, but I didn't expect them to just pick me up and carry me along somewhere.


	14. Chapter 14

I was taken through the halls of the vampire fortress to a room that turned out to be a kind of audience chamber, like a throne room, but not quite so ornate. There were vampires everywhere except along the back wall. That was kept clear except for a large but almost severely plain stone throne, and seated on it I saw at last the face of my prey.  
He looked like a distinguished old gentleman, with short white hair, and a suit – in black, naturally. There was nothing that gave him away for what he was, except a smile that had daggers in it. It spoke volumes by itself.  
The other vampires who'd been with me broke away to the edges, leaving only the two carrying me. I was thrown unceremoniously to the floor in front of him. His eyes were on me in moments.  
"Master," one of them said in a distinctly servile tone. "The last werewolf. We finally caught him just outside the south tower."  
He said nothing, but made a curt gesture with one hand, still watching me. The two backed away.  
I struggled to push myself up, to try to do anything. I couldn't just do nothing.  
"We meet at last, Sora," he murmured in a deep, calm voice. "I wondered how long it would be before we met. You've become quite a nuisance, and a murderer too, I note. Oh, but you don't consider it murder if it's one of us, do you? I might not have liked my grandson, but Commander Valgor was still a part of the family."  
I ignored him. I had to get the cuff off my leg. He watched me with some amusement as I tried, but however it had been locked onto me, I couldn't figure it out. It didn't seem to have any kind of lock, it was just one unbroken ring of light-brown bark.  
"You can't even admit defeat, can you?" he taunted me. "Here you lay before me, incapable of even the slightest bit of resistance. What should I do with you, I wonder?"  
This was it – what I needed to plant the idea in his mind, so I could make the plan work. I mustered everything I had left, looked him in the eye and answered, "Kill me. In front of all your kind. Wouldn't they all love to see the demise of the last werewolf from the last pack?"  
"Oh, quite probably. But I don't think even you're that suicidal."  
"Not suicidal."  
"Oh, really? I have existed for centuries, yet a mere child like you thinks you stand a chance?"  
"I don't have to stand a chance. We've tried to get rid of you since our creation. I'm just upholding that. I have to try."  
He leaned forward, tapping his chin thoughtfully.  
"There are a lot of us," he said finally. "It will take some time for them to assemble here, and there will have to be preparations and arrangements made for the... amusements. I'm still left with the decision of what to do with you until they arrive."  
I said nothing. He at least gave the appearance of going along with the plan. I didn't want to do anything that might make him change his mind, and I was still left weakened. It was hard to do anything.  
"I think I'll keep you as a pet," he decided with a smirk. "You there," he snapped his fingers at a nearby vampire. "Get me the collar I had inlaid with silver."  
This was not turning out how I'd expected or wanted, and the idea of being kept as a pet...  
"As you wish, Master," the vampire answered, with the faintest hint of a sneer on his face as he turned away.  
I had no idea what was going on here. As far as I knew, silver wasn't going to do anything to me. I turned out to be wrong on that score.  
"Surely you don't mean to let _him_ stay here, Master?" another asked him.  
"Of course I do. Look at him. Do you really think he poses any kind of threat like this?"  
"But... he's a werewolf, Master. No werewolf has ever set foot here before."  
"He has," he pointed out. "Not only did he make it into the town below undetected, but also into the fortress before he was found and caught." Something seemed to occur to him, and he went on, "Need I remind you that the town guard falls under _your_ jurisdiction Vidan? Would you care to care to explain just how one werewolf managed to defeat everything you put in place to stop them and reach us? Or maybe you were hoping he'd defeat me so you could take my place?"  
Vidan suddenly looked very guilty. Others drew back from him, most of them trying – without much success – to look innocent. I doubt there's ever been an innocent vampire-  
Actually, I take that back. I _did_ meet one who could be considered innocent. I'll get to that later though.  
Vidan tried to stammer out some kind of excuse, but their master waved him into silence. The one he'd sent off to retrieve this silver-inlaid collar returned, standing nearby the guilty one. It looked like the kind of collar you'd put on a dog, I'd expected it to be black like everything else, but instead it was a simple blue leather band, with intricate silver designs on both the inside and out.  
"Hand it to him," their master told him. "I give you a chance to redeem yourself. _You_ will be the one to switch the cuff for that collar. Don't try to put the collar on him before taking the cuff off, or you'll probably kill him, and I want him alive."  
All other vampires drew even further back, and Vidan's eyes widened in fear. I was still human, but I could practically smell the fear on him. I knew what he was afraid of, and so did they. The moment he removed the cuff from my ankle, I'd be back at full strength and more than ready to act on it. Vidan's 'redemption' was practically an open invitation to his own end.  
The room was absolutely silent. Their master hadn't moved at all, watching Vidan carefully. Vidan himself had the collar in one hand and was staring at me in what looked to me like abject terror. All others had either cleared out or were trying to hide in the corners of the room, or peeking around the supporting pillars down either side. They looked no less afraid than he did.  
While it was quiet, I formed a plan of my own. Sooner or later, they were going to try and get that collar on me, and if they couldn't put both it and the cuff on, I'd have a chance to strike. Whether because he was lax or not paying attention, Vidan had allowed me to get this far, so I decided not to harm him. At least not yet.  
No doubt the Master would be ready for anything I'd try to do to him, so that put him off-limits as well. That left the other vampires in the room. I surreptitiously studied where each of them were, how many were hiding where, and figured out the best route through them before they caught me, hopefully making it to the door and back out into the fortress proper to find a place to hide.  
My plan made, I looked back at Vidan and weak as I still was, I treated him to my best wolfish grin. I might have been human, but he knew what I was, and knew what it would have looked like on the face of a wolf. He flinched back, evoking a brief chuckle from the Master.  
"What are you waiting for?" I asked him. "It's not like I'm going to be any weaker if you keep waiting." He stared at me, looking surprised, so I continued, "Come on, what's keeping you? After all, I'm just a dog, aren't I?" I might not like being called that, but I wanted him to take the cuff off, and that meant I either had to give him the confidence to do it, or taunt him into it.  
"He... he can't..." he started.  
"No," the Master answered. "He can't change his form while the cuff is on him."  
"That's right. I'm stuck as a weakling little human, aren't I?"  
Some of the fear seemed to fade, and the Master laughed again.  
"He's playing you like a well-tuned instrument, Vidan. He's up to something. Get on with it; I want to see what our werewolf has in mind."  
Still somewhat hesitantly, he knelt down, watching me carefully. The collar was set down on the floor beside me while he reached for the cuff, which seemed to snap apart easily. He kept it in contact with me, then quickly set it down, reaching for the collar.  
I felt my strength come rushing back, and quickly changed not to my Hybrid form, but became a wolf again instead. I sprang past him before he reacted and aimed between two of the pillars to the vampires hiding behind, who scattered quickly, sounds of terror echoing around the room as I bounded through them. I did not harm a single one of them. I could have, but that wasn't in the plan.  
I moved quickly around, herding them like sheep toward the doors which they obligingly opened. I stopped herding them at that point and bolted out of the door again.  
"Oh dear," I heard their Master sigh, heavy with amused sarcasm. "He seems to have gotten away again. I do wonder what we'll have to do now."  
The corridor I was running through seemed to blur slightly around me, then I was back in the audience room again, this time facing the side of his throne. I hadn't had time to stop, so ended up hitting it. I don't suggest trying it yourself, stone hurts a lot when you run into it.  
Vidan hadn't moved after I'd bolted, looking stunned himself, but now I was back and dazed from my collision, he seized the chance to put the collar on.  
It was then I found out the significance of the silver. While it isn't a lethal as such, it _does _hurt – a lot. It felt more like it was burning, and as with the Wolfsbane, I once again lost the ability to change form. I was not weakened by it, but it didn't really need to do that, the burning feeling was distraction enough to keep me from trying anything.  
Then somehow it seemed to lessen when someone tugged on it. It turned out to be their Master.  
"I see you've noticed it's effect," he noted. How could I not? "Behave, and I will reduce that effect, misbehave and I will return it. Understand?"  
I didn't want to reveal that I could still speak human language like this, even though it wasn't good, so I just made do with a kind of nod. Wolves don't normally nod at all, so I couldn't manage a proper nod. He seemed to get the idea.  
"Good boy," he said, as if to a pet, then smoothed down some of my fur that had been ruffled after Vidan had put it on me.  
I didn't like it, but if it got me what I wanted, I'd have to tolerate it.  
"I'll overlook his brief escape from you," he told Vidan then, leaving me to lay beside his throne. "You've redeemed yourself for now, but if I find out the security isn't up to scratch again..." he left it hanging ominously.  
"I understand Master, I'll do better."  
"Good. See that you do. Oh one other thing. I understand a group of missionaries have set up shop outside the old church in town and intend to renovate it for their own uses. Deal with it."  
I never saw what happened to those people myself, but I found out later that this happened regularly. Missionaries of any religion would periodically show up, unaware of the nature of the inhabitants of the fortress, and try to spread their influence. They never lasted more than a week, and were often considered snacks. The church, I learned, had been used before the vampires took up residence, and they'd pulled down the entrance to stop anyone getting inside. Apparently they don't like religious folk, but I still can't see why.


	15. Chapter 15

I was a pet of my own enemy, and despite hating that situation, it was going to get me what I wanted – the vampires in one place. Then I just had to hope their Master would take up my challenge and take me on personally, defeat him and Kathann's Mother would handle the rest.  
Don't ask me for her name, incidentally. Kathann won't tell me, and I get the feeling it's probably better that way.  
In all fairness, I wasn't treated that badly overall. Their Master was polite about it and treated me fairly provided I didn't try to harm anyone. This wasn't universally shared among his subjects, however. Most were sensible enough to recognise that as a pet, I technically belonged to him, and that like anything else of his, treat it well or face the consequences. Morality among vampires is somewhat brutal.  
Those few that ignored that had 'examples' made of them. Those who merely kept to making disparaging remarks about me were mostly left alone as long as it didn't go too far. Some though tried to take advantage of the situation to take out centuries of hatred on me physically. The Master did not take kindly to that, and after a few vampires mysteriously went missing, it dropped off entirely. Some of the missing ones were because of me, but I got told very firmly to stop doing that. It was emphasised by a sharp jolt of pain from the collar, so I decided to go along with it.  
I can't really say he didn't look after me, I guess. Don't get me wrong, I didn't like the situation, but I figured I had to bear it, not like it.  
I did have to bear some dreadful things though. While I never saw the Master himself feed, eat or drink in any way, I did have the unfortunate pleasure of seeing the others do it. There was a large banquet hall in his fortress where he'd periodically invite humans to gather, ostensibly to announce something. Just above where they milled around were two tiers of galleries, filled with vampires. The Master would thank them for coming, have the doors closed, then would announce feeding time. You can imagine what happened next, and every time he was present, he insisted I watch the entire thing.  
There's more, but I won't go into that. There might be some younger readers seeing this, and I don't think it would be a good idea for them to find out about some of the more perverse acts they got up to.  
No, I wasn't made to participate, only watch. You've no idea how thankful I was for that.  
When the Master made his rare excursions away from the fortress or had simply tired of my company, I was sent to his only remaining daughter.  
Remember that innocent Vampire I mentioned earlier? This is her.  
She was called Samantha, and she looked young, about the same age as Kairi, and had fair hair. Her eyes were like that of all vampires; red. They would darken as their need to feed again drew closer.  
She was considerably older than she looked. She never came right out and told me how old she was, but the closest approximation I could get was seventeen centuries. Can you imagine what she must have seen in that time, and what she had to go through?  
Samantha did not share the views of the rest of her kind, and looked on feeding as an unpleasant necessity. She always waited until the absolute last minute possible before going to feed, and even then she'd pick her prey carefully, and try to make it as trouble-free for them as possible. Despite that, she still regretted it every time, and I can't blame her. It is a fairly terrible thing to have to do. The alternative would be for her to die, and she didn't want that either.  
Samantha was the only one in the entire fortress that I ever actually spoke to in the human tongue. It was kind of our secret. It took a long time for me to trust her with that secret though. At first of course I thought of her no different to any other vampire, and stayed wary and distrustful. She was patient though, and if I gave any sign of not wanting her to do something, she'd stop. She was incredibly considerate for one of her kind.  
I think it was her friendship that helped me bear the long months I had to spend like that. It was her responsibility to keep me clean, tidy and healthy – well, as healthy as I could be with a silver collar burning into my neck. It didn't leave any marks, but it was uncomfortable, and she explained to me that no matter how much her father did to lessen it, he could never null it entirely.  
Most of our time was spent with me curled up nearby, and we'd talk. Well... she would, I'd sometimes ask questions, but normally I'd just listen. It reminded me a great deal of the night I'd spent as a wolf with Kairi, and I missed her a great deal. I often wondered what she, Goofy and Donald were up to. They were, of course, looking for me, but I didn't find that out until much later.  
It was during one of those wide-ranging conversations with her that I gained some insight into the minds of the rest of the vampires. I'd been sent away by her father again, so had to wait in her room for her to return from feeding.  
Her room was not quite what you'd expect from a young-seeming girl, let alone a seventeen century old one. She had status enough among her kind to give her a fair sized room, with a large bed, apparently on the off chance that she ever took an interest in a male vampire, or just to tease human males a bit before feeding on them. She never did do either, of course.  
She seemed more partial to white than pink or the depressing black of the rest of the fortress, which made her room seem much lighter than the rest. It was like going from night to day.  
Against my protesting vehemently, she'd insisted on getting me a dog basket to curl up in when I had to wait. The only way she'd managed to persuade me to even try to use it was to remind me that the rest of the vampires had no idea about the friendship we had, and if one of them came in without her around it should at least look like I was still the pet, and not a friend, so with reluctance, I waited there. I did not ever curl up in it, I'd sit instead. I wasn't going to let them break me into doing what they wanted that easily, even for her. I used it, but I absolutely refused to curl up.  
I'm going off course describing all this again. You really shouldn't let me keep doing that you know.  
When she came in this time, she looked distinctly uncomfortable, the way she always did when she'd had to feed. She was distracted, and didn't notice me at first, instead taking one of the many chairs in the room and staring out the window. She clearly needed cheering up, and that was something I considered to be my responsibility.  
We'd long ago conveniently arranged various tables and surfaces near most of the chairs so I could sit on one beside her. I was a bit big to actually share a chair with her really, so I took the nearest one and got her attention in my favourite way, licking at her face. I have a very wet tongue, and I found it always seemed to tickle her, which set her to giggling almost instantly.  
"Stop that," she told me, humour restored easily, wiping at her face. "Did you have to wait long for me?"  
I came as close as I could to shaking no. Even though she knew I could talk, she also knew I didn't like to. More than once in the past I've accidentally bitten my own tongue because of it. You can do it, and it'll pass without incident, but have you ever seen wolf teeth? Yeah. It's not just something that can be put aside so easily.  
There was a question that had been on my mind for some time, so I went ahead and asked. Once I figured out how to put it to her, that is.  
"One wonders why it is that you have not sought a mate."  
"You mean a boyfriend or something? He'd never allow it, that's why."  
"Why not?"  
"I'm his daughter," she shrugged. "I can pick who I want to see, but anyone I want a relationship with, he has to approve of. If they're not a vampire, they're made into one – and that always turns out to make them as bad as the rest." She sighed, then in a sarcastic tone went on, "Look at me, I'm immortal now, I can do anything I want, and if people refuse I'll just suck them dry... it's the kind of stupid, arrogant attitude that makes everyone afraid of us... and made you what you are."  
"You do not share the dislike the others have of me?" It was as close as I could manage. Certain words it was safer to avoid saying because of my tongue, and while I remained a wolf, I thought like a wolf, which influenced how I said things. If I tried to write all this from that perspective, you'd definitely notice the difference.  
Samantha sat for a long time in silence before she answered, and as was her habit, she'd brush my fur down to try and tidy it. It's like my hair though, naturally untidy.  
"I don't hate you," she told me eventually. "and I like you, Sora. But I don't like werewolves." She looked away, staring out the window again. "When I was young – when I really was young, that is, not just looking like it – I had four brothers and two sisters, all older than me. Father had already been made a vampire before I was born, so all my family were already vampires. I was the only one born into it. Each of them had their own families by then, and their own children, except me. At the time, there was a pack of werewolves living not far from our home town. This isn't it, we moved here after that. We were constantly losing vampires to their pack. They took ridiculous risks, but they paid off a lot of the time, and we suffered.  
"Then one of my brothers went to Father. My family were among the oldest vampires, and he reckoned that would give him all he'd need to deal with this pack if Father would let him, my brothers and sisters try. Father refused to let me go, and insisted on letting Mother go with them."  
She broke off her account again, looking down at the floor instead with tears in her eyes. She wiped them aside, blew her nose, and continued with an ages old sadness in her voice.  
"The pack killed them all. They were ready for an assault led by any vampire, and it didn't matter to them who they were, or how old they were. I never saw any of them again. I thought at the time you were horrible creatures for taking them from me, and then when Father got the news he uprooted all of us that were left, and we fled because we couldn't match you. That's when we came here. Father deposed the human who ruled the town, and we took over. They give us what we need, and we give them what they need to keep a growing population. To hear any other vampire say it, they're just a source of food, like cattle.  
"For a long time, I kept my views on your kind, hating them all and wishing they would finally be defeated, but then Father started changing the orders, going to new lengths. He started using fire to burn them alive, poisoning their food and water sources, and other nasty tactics. I started to feel sorry for them after that. Then really recently, you came on the scene. I knew there was only one village left, and I'd heard you were there. We know a great deal about you, Sora," she told me, finally looking back to me seriously. "Father was so determined to turn you before they did, and when he failed to, he ordered that everything be done to kill you all, including you. If he couldn't have you, he wasn't going to let them have you. I'm sorry that he did all that, and took them all from you... I wish I could have done something, but he's my Father, and the only vampire old enough to force his will on me. If he tells me to do something, I have to do it."  
Now I felt sorry for her, and what she'd had to go through. If the legend about our creation was true, all this was caused because two knights had disagreed with each other, and tried to resolve it by fighting. How many years have passed since then, I have no idea, but no matter how long, it's a long time for either side to hold a grudge. Most vampires are too set in their own superiority to change, despite everything that happened, and treat my continued existance as a threat worth getting rid of, so naturally I have to respond in kind.  
Samantha was clearly unsettled by recounting her tale, and I'd caused it because I asked that one question. I spent the rest of that day with her keeping her company to try to make up for it.


	16. Chapter 16

It was exactly six months after I'd had been forced to submit to having the collar and holding back on the urge to kill every vampire I saw in their fortress that their Master finally gave me any sign he really was working on our joint plan. He had no idea it was a plan between us, or that my version differed to his, but it was in both our interests.  
He sent for me, and when I got there – snarling at one vampire who muttered something unpleasant about my ancestors and probable descendants – he merely beckoned to me to follow him, and lead me from the room. This was the first time he'd ever had me accompany him anywhere – normally I just got told where he wanted me to meet him, like the banquet hall, and he expected me to turn up.  
It was while I was walking with him I caught a familiar scent from him. It was strong, pure, and undoubtedly belonged to Kairi. I'd heard nothing of her appearing anywhere here, let alone him having any guests, so I worried over this.  
We went down to the lowest floor, then down again underground. The walls here were little more than earthen corridors supported periodically by wooden or stone archways. I shuddered back inwardly as we got closer to the end, because the arches there were not made from either, but instead from bones. Human bones. Now I worried more.  
When we eventually reached the end of the corridor, it opened into a vast cavern, the earth inside dug and carved away until it left an arena. It wasn't yet finished, with humans, definitely humans, flitting about all over working on this or that, putting up what decorations and such that couldn't simply be carved from the earth.  
High above, in the roof there was a small patch of earth missing that allowed natural light in. A cage had been constructed that presumably was supported on the surface. It contained mirrors, and combined with other mirrors around the rest of the arena, the place was lit up as if it was in broad daylight. Finally, around the edge of the arena central arena itself was a heavy steel lattice that would protect the crowds from me – or him.  
"You know of course what this means," he murmured to me, not bothering to look at me. "The last of our kind will be arriving in the next few days, by which time the last details will be complete." He pointed down to the opposite side of the arena. "Down there, a cage will be installed. No doubt you know what for."  
I knew alright. Me.  
"It's being inlaid with the same silver as your collar has, so don't get any ideas about trying to break out. I'll have the collar removed once you're safely inside it, and the cage itself will be removed when I'm ready to send you to your fate." Now he looked back at me, and continued, "You could give in, of course. I would be content to allow you to continue on as you are now."  
I gave him a flat stare.  
"Yes, I rather thought you'd see it that way. Such a shame, you know. I'd considered allowing you to re-form a pack from the humans in town – loyal to me ultimately, of course."  
Even if he had, it wouldn't have worked. Kathann did something that prevents me from turning anyone.  
I think he was hoping that would change my mind, but I was still dead set on keeping my oath. I turned away from him, instead examining the arena itself. The bottom either hadn't been completed, or was deliberately left with it's collection of small hills, dips and rough areas.  
"I expect you want to know when it happens," he said, following me. I pretended to ignore him, but flicked one ear toward him to listen all the same.  
"I thought so. Tomorrow night is the time, Sora. You'll be put in the cage after lunch. Until then, you can stay away from here. I'll call for you if I need you."  
That was pretty much it. After he said that, I left the area, pausing on the way back the check the bones. None of them had the same scent he'd had on him, so I breathed a little easier.  
I had to go to Samantha's room, of course. If I tried to go anywhere else, the collar would flare up, and I preferred to avoid that.  
She was expecting me. I could always tell that by her expression – if it was serious or mischievous, she knew I was coming.  
This time it was a serious look, which meant either something had happened, or she knew something.  
"Father took you to see it, didn't he?" she asked. I nodded, already knowing what she meant. "I guess that means you know when as well. I persuaded him to make you an offer so I... so you wouldn't have to go through this."  
"The offer is not in my interests," I told her. "One must fulfil a promise made."  
"You turned it down?" She sighed, then sank down onto the bed. "He's going to do the same to you as he has to everyone else who's stood against him. You've got to go back and tell him you're taking his offer."  
"I cannot."  
"But why? Because of your promise? Don't you see? You have to live long enough to keep that promise, and you'd never manage that," she burst out.  
"One has to try."  
"He's my father, Sora! He's all I've got left! You can't just take him from me!"  
She'd known this was coming all along, but seemed to think that I'd want to remain like this. I admit, it would have been tempting, but I couldn't get out of the oath. Once sworn, it has to be kept, remember.  
I was slightly torn in loyalties though. I liked her, and this had clearly upset her. I felt like I had to do something, and I wasn't sure how she'd take the one thing I could give her.  
"Would you want to give up what you are?" I asked her. She was taken back by it, looking at me in astonishment, as if she couldn't believe I was asking at a time like this.  
"Well... yes, of course, but I can't, I'd die."  
"If there was a way, would you take it?"  
"Do you know how?"  
"There is a way."  
"How?"  
"Then I must fulfil my promise."  
"How is that going to help anyone at all?"  
"What you are will be taken from you, and you will be the same as the ones who live below."  
"But... Father..."  
Now it seemed to be her turn to be torn, between her father and the prospect of being human for the first time.  
I said nothing. There wasn't anything more I could do.  
"Part of me wants you to lose to him," she told me. "And another part wants him to lose to you. But most of me wants you to give in to him."  
"I cannot do that," I told her again.  
"I know," she sighed, kneeling nearby and hugging me. "But I don't want to see another person killed by Father, and I don't want to lose the chance to be normal."  
What could I say to that? I was going to give her something she wanted, and take her Father from her. No matter who you are, that's one huge sacrifice to make, more so in her case because of their great age, and the long time they'd been together.  
We didn't say anything else to each other after that at all. She made sure I was healthy and at full strength on the morning of the day, then her Father came for me. She hid it well, more from him than me, but I could tell she still couldn't decide who she wanted to come out on top.  
He and I said nothing either. For the first time since coming here, I held myself with pride again, and he definitely noticed the change of attitude. Curiously, despite what he'd seen me do to other vampires in the past, he chose to trust me and had no escort, no guards join us on our way to the arena.  
Kairi's scent was still on him though, just as strong as it was before, and this time I could smell Donald and Goofy with her. That could only mean one thing – they were also here.  
There was jeering as we entered the arena. It was still several hours before their Master and I would face each other, but vampires had already begun to filter in. There were several new corridors leading into the arena, but it seemed only the first one lead to their fortress.  
The ground I now saw was indeed deliberately left as I'd seen it before. There were only a few flat areas, the largest being around a newly installed cage, glinting in the reflected light.  
Several vampires lifted it up as we approached, and their Master indicated for me to enter. I paused as I did so.  
"Yes?" was all he said.  
One of the vampires got bored and kicked me as if to push me in. I jumped immediately at him and bit into his neck – the first vampire I'd killed in some time. The others drew back nervously. I expected to receive another sharp shock for doing this, but I got none. Instead the Master simply stood there and watched, waiting for me to enter the cage.  
Finally, I gave in. I had to trust he'd keep to his word and remove the collar, so I went in, and waited. I was right to have given him that trust.  
"I'd wish you good luck," he murmured as he removed it. "But all the luck in the world isn't going to help you."  
Once it was off, I shifted back to human form, and somewhat haltingly as I hadn't spoken like that for some time, I told him, "Who needs luck, when you have divine favour?"  
His smile slipped just slightly, but he recovered quickly and with the faintest hint of contempt in his tone he answered, "No god would favour a dog that doesn't know when to quit."  
I just smiled back at him. No dog would quit as long as there was a fighting chance – and I had that chance.  
The vampires who managed the cage were still milling around nearby. It was going to be a long wait, so I figured I could at least have a bit of fun. They were still nervous of me, so I sat down, leaned back on the wall behind me, and waited.  
Eventually, they relaxed again, and leaned on the bars of the cage.  
Taking care not to make a sound, I became a wolf one more time, padded up behind them, then started growling in a low, harsh way. They froze instantly, and I could smell the fear coming from them. I changed back again, laughing and returned to the back of the cage away from them.  
I did that to them several times, and every time they reacted the same way. In the end, they snapped. Three of them ran off, but one stayed and turned to face me.  
"Stop it. Just stop it."  
"Or what?" I asked, moving to Hybrid form.  
He watched, eyes widening as I shifted form. I had to crouch to fit in the cage, but he still got a fair idea of just how big I was.  
He tried to say something, mouth opening and closing silently, then in a very small voice he stuttered out, "N-nothing. Nothing at all."  
After that, the ones that had run off installed a system of pulleys and chains so they could raise the cage from behind the lattice, so they wouldn't be putting themselves at risk of me again. It took away my fun, but I'd decided to take a nap anyway so I'd be ready.  
The vampires continued to file in, later flocking in. Although I've never once seen any proof that they can turn into bats, the idea of a flock of migrating bats all coming here just to see their leader lose to me was somehow amusing.  
Amusement turned to anxiety as it grew later, and the natural light was replaced with artificial lights lit up on the surface. I'd gone against vampires, but now I was going against the very first vampire ever, the true Vampire Lord. I had no idea what to expect. He had centuries of experience, but if my short time with him was any indication, he never actually did anything directly. Samantha's outburst indicated that he had great power behind him, but no one had ever said anything about how it was used. All I had to work with was what I'd learned fighting other vampires, and against him, that must have seemed like nothing at all.  
I started to doubt myself when something caught my eye that banished them again. Beside the entrance from the fortress, a ghostly white wolf sat watching me. The vampires didn't seem to be able to see him, but I could.  
"Be strong, Kamaz," I heard Kathann's voice tell me. "Of all werewolves, you stand above them all. Mother and I are with you, as are all the wolves of all worlds."  
With those words strongly in mind, I knew I couldn't lose. I had the aid of not one, but two – if not more – gods.


	17. Chapter 17

Ever wondered what 4 'o clock in the morning is for? Two things. One is at christmas, and it's the time at which kids always find the noisiest toys they get. The other is for writing stuff like this because you can't sleep.  
Anyway. Random fact of the day over with, back to my tale.

The scene was set, and it was almost time. The seating for the arena was packed, and not a few vampires stood at the back, squashed up just for the chance to watch their Master take on the last werewolf. Unawares to them, Kathann himself sat among them, and he and his Mother had both given their support to me. I thought I was about as ready as I possibly could be.  
The tensions in the arena seemed to reach a fever pitch. You could barely have heard yourself shout over the noise. I knew what they wanted, and I was not going to give it to them.  
Then at last, I saw him, their Master, the first vampire entered the cavern. He did not come straight down to face me, instead going to a podium that had been erected with four seats in a prime position on. There were four people following them. When I saw the first, I felt a momentary doubt again as I realised it was Samantha, and while she looked calm, I didn't need to be a werewolf to see that she didn't like what was going to happen.  
My doubt was banished yet again, not by Kathann, but by the other three that followed. Completely unharmed, with no trace of the tell-tale traits of a vampire, Kairi, Donald and Goofy followed.  
I'd been in my human form, so naturally they recognised me.  
This was a problem as well though. I couldn't change if they were here.  
"The normal restrictions don't apply for this night only," Kathann's voice told me, apparently picking up on my thoughts. "Mother has relaxed them for you."  
I'd still be left with some questions to answer afterwards, but that was secondary. They were safe, and that meant my primary concern was my prey.  
As they reached the podium and took their seats, silence fell gradually. The Master waited at the front of the podium until it had subsided.  
"My children, the time has come at last," he began. "It's been a long time coming. We have with us, as you have no doubt already seen, some special guests. Behind me, with my daughter, we have three of the closest friends of our most special guest. And who is that special guest? None other than the last of our enemy, Sora himself!"  
Either he hadn't told them what I was, or he was holding it back. The vampires, of course, knew who their enemy was, but he seemed either unwilling or unable to reveal that just yet.  
He waited for silence again as the crowd gave another round of jeering at me, which I paid no attention to. I was watching him in case he tried anything.  
When it fell silent once more, he continued again. "Long have we fought for this day, and not without cost." He glanced briefly back at Samantha. "But now, you will bear witness to the greatest event in our history since our creation – the demise of the last werewolf, by my hand."  
Kairi's expression grew shocked. She hadn't known, and now he'd just explained everything I'd had to avoid talking about. I couldn't hear them from where I was, but I was fairly sure both Donald and Goofy had given some surprised outburst at this revelation. They were silenced by another surprise to them, as the Vampire Lord stepped off the platform, apparently onto mid-air, and descended an unseen staircase to the arena floor. He took to one of the mounds of earth on the floor.  
"And now," he paused, for dramatic effect I guess, then went on, "Release the werewolf."  
He seemed to be playing some kind of game with me, so I went along with it for now. As the cage was lifted, I stood, then without showing a single sign of doubt, went to the mound opposite him. I did not look at anyone on the podium, at least not obviously.  
Silence fell with a wave of the Master's hand.  
"You could surrender," he offered.  
"We werewolves don't know the meaning of the word," I answered. "Why don't we move on already, and cut to the fight?"  
"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. I'll give you one you'll never forget."  
I don't remember exactly what was going through my mind or what I was expecting to see him do. Up until now, he'd remained exactly the same, looking like just another distinguished old gent.  
That changed now however, as I saw what he held back from all others.  
Demon came to mind when I saw it. He grew, very literally, into something that was easily twice his previous size. The eyes remained red of course, but that was all that stayed the same. His skin was a bluish-silver, and clearly tough stuff. Naturally, horns were on his head, and fangs on full display. Claws on the hands, and no one could doubt there was physical power behind him.  
I had to admit, it was a little on the intimidating side, but I didn't let that distract me. I just crossed my arms, smirked at him and said, "Is that all you've got, old man?"  
Now the full force of the power others had talked about was brought to bear on me. I felt a great weight on my mind, like that of Kathann's Mother when she touched on mind, but it was far harsher. Imagine sandpaper rubbing over your mind, multiply it by his age, and you start to get an idea.  
She was with me though, even if I didn't realise it, and she pushed back. He recoiled back from this, making the crowd go silent yet again. To them, nothing had happened yet, and this unexpected reaction took them by surprise.  
Then he charged at me. I stood unmoving before him until the last minute, then became a wolf and easily ran aside, leaving him to carve tracks in the earth as he dug in his feet to stop. A chance glance at Kairi showed that she was just as surprised to see me actually change form, but I couldn't keep my glance on her for long. I had to pay attention.  
He charged a second time, and this time I charged right back. I repeated the same trick I'd used on Commander Valgor so long before, taking to his chest and ripping away. It was tough to get through his thick skin, my own claws only just scratching, nor could I keep a grip on his neck for long for the same reason.  
He swung one of his vast hands at me to send me flying off as if I was just a rag-doll. In mid-air, I changed again, this time to the hybrid form. Believe me, it's not easy to change when you're unexpectedly flying. This was more useful to me, allowing me to gain at least some control over my descent again, and land without incident, not only without incident but ready to come at him again.  
I had more power behind me in this form, and that was just what I needed. He came at me as well, but I ducked low and lunged into him, pushing him to the ground. He was down, but not out. I had to watch for those massive clawed hands of his, blocking his strikes with them and making my own on him at the same time. Some of the scratches I'd left on him flowered into deeper wounds, but no blood came from them. He hadn't fed for some time, evidently.  
He locked his legs around me to try to throw me off with, so I responded by pinning down his arms and going for the neck again. He had more strength than I did, so I was flung off again before I got close enough. He'd put enough force behind it that I was thrown into the lattice not far from the podium, and found he'd neglected to tell me that this side of it also had silver in it. Either he had a private silver mine, or he'd had to pay out a great deal for that much silver. Expensive or not, I caught that burning feeling from it again, distracting me long enough for him to land on me.  
Now it was my turn to try to throw him off, but he was not easy to dislodge, and I had to pay attention to his own wide swipes at me. He caught me once – just once – on the chest, and unlike him, I did bleed. The scent of blood, filled my nose instantly and drove me to call on everything I had in me. This time he went flying into the lattice, not as hard as I had done, but the unearthly screech he gave when he hit it was very satisfying, not to mention it seemed to hurt him more than me. It left marks on his back, which was surprising – none of the other vampires had shown this reaction to silver, and they'd come in direct contact with it too.  
Very briefly, over the renewed roars of the crowd, I heard Kairi call out to me in concern. She'd seen what he'd done to me, though it was hard to miss really. Thankfully it didn't go too deep, but still...  
After only a quick glance at her while he was distracted, I gave her a nod and returned to the task at hand. He was still writhing from the touch of silver, so I took advantage of this. I didn't keep my form, or become a wolf, instead I returned to my natural human form once I was close, and brought out the keyblade that had seen me through countless battles before. My injury showed in this form too of course, and I couldn't ignore that it hurt, but there was little I could do about it.  
The keyblade cut deep on the first strike, possibly deeper than I had done before. He must have felt it, because he came to his feet howling and snarling.  
Somewhat disdainfully, I blocked the swipe he made for me with the keyblade, and neatly removed several claws from that hand. He didn't seem to learn from this mistake, swiping with the other hand and losing several more. In between the swipes, I continued to make my own slashes and cuts on him. The keyblade was definitely doing more than I had before.  
Enraged now and bellowing in some unknown tongue, or just gibberish for all I know, he ducked down, and made to head butt me to try and impale me on his horns or something, but I simply evaded by shifting back to a wolf, and letting him make a fool of himself as he found nothing to hit, falling over instead.  
I figured he'd be ready for another attack if I stayed close, so back off a ways to prepare for whatever he'd give next.  
I wasn't prepared for what he did though. Instead of making an attack himself, he slammed one giant fist into the floor, then the other. Whatever power he'd tried to direct at me, now went somewhere else, and sent sparks skittering over the floor around his hands. When it came back, it brought skeletons crawling out of the floor.  
I don't like the undead, but you probably knew that already. They're unnatural. But no matter what my feelings about them, they seemed completely lost in the heat of the moment. There were a lot of them forming, and more just seemed to keep coming as long as his hand remained in contact with the earth. I shattered them through any means necessary, shifting forms as I needed to keep it up and get close to him. I took one risk then, turning my back on him and making a wide swing with the keyblade to destroy all those behind me, then I tried something I hadn't before, keeping the keyblade as I returned to my Hybrid form. It stayed with me, and gave me the chance I wanted to deliver a powerful blow to his unprotected head. The hands were drawn up hastily and the flow of new skeletons stopped, but the ones that had already formed or were forming were still there. I continued to fight them off, keeping close watch on him in case he got his senses together and came after me.  
The skeletons, apparently given orders to home in on me, didn't last long. They might have been armed with various weapons, but they were no match for me. It wasn't long before I stood alone against him again.  
Then I saw my chance. The Keyblade had stayed with me when I changed form, though somehow I knew if I lost it, or I changed to my wolf-form, which couldn't wield it, I wouldn't be able to re-summon it until I became human again. It could harm him, and with the power of the Hybrid form behind me, I could deal out the most damage.  
I was ready for him this time when he made another charge for me. I crouched low, stood firm, and held the keyblade ready. When he came close enough, I swung it low and followed through when it struck, carrying him into the lattice.  
In one single, quick movement, seemingly without even consciously thinking about it, my other hand was there. I'd cut into the toughened skin enough to make Kathann's age-old tactic work on even this ancient vampire.  
He froze when I took hold of his heart, and the arena grew deathly quiet. Not a single one of them could mistake what they saw. Out of the corner of one eye, I saw Samantha's shocked look.  
Then, with a faint feeling of regret for what I was doing to her, I pulled down and tore it from him.  
He did not die instantly. Still pinned to the lattice by the keyblade, he first shrank back to his more human appearance, clearly showing the signs of what had taken place. He looked curious and stunned, then looked down to what I'd done, and back to me. One hand reached out to my shoulder and tried to take hold, but before it even reached me, the dust had settled on the earth.  
A vast groan went through the ranks of the assembled as it fell. Samantha had been stood up when she saw me make the fatal move, but now she was on her knees, sobbing, inconsolable. Kairi was with her, but even she didn't look at me the same, it was as if she was afraid. Even Goofy, normally almost completely unshakable, showed fear of me.  
There was complete silence for a goodly time, then as has always been done after an important battle has been won by wolves or werewolves, I became a wolf and gave a triumphant howl of victory, tainted only by the costs at which I'd gained it.


	18. Chapter 18

Now, I know what you're thinking. There's a gaping hole in my story. I've said before that Kairi has no idea about what I am, yet I also just told you she heard and saw the whole thing.  
No, I'm not contradicting myself – both those statements are true. Be patient and I'll explain when we get to that point.

Nothing seemed to have changed, yet there was a difference in everything. The light seemed somehow brighter, the earth more earthy, the smells so much clearer and stronger.  
There was a near absolute silence for a long time, broken only be Kairi trying to comfort Samantha. I hadn't moved, it was as if the world had stopped and now it was slowly coming back to me.  
There were two differences I did notice easily. The first that registered in my mind was the lack of a scent. Not a single vampire was in this room, yet no one had left.  
The second jerked me sharply back to reality as the smell of my own blood flared, and I remembered I was still injured.  
There was no obvious way for me to leave the arena except by the stairs that led into the fortress, and that was blocked off by the crowd still. Some of them looked at each other curiously, others in relief. Most seemed afraid.  
"Sora." It was Samantha. She now had deep green eyes that seemed to convey a greater pain from her loss, and her face was tear streaked.  
I waited in front of the podium to hear what she had to say. Some of the assembled paid attention rather tentatively.  
"That was a terrible thing you did," she told me.  
"I know. It had to be done. There wasn't any other way for this to happen."  
"How can you say that?" Kairi accused. "You didn't even look for another way."  
"I had it on best authority that it was the only way."  
"From who?"  
"You wouldn't believe me. I think you could say she's distantly related to Hades, but I'd have to ask her. Or him, but he doesn't like me."  
Kairi almost said something, but Samantha put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Let it be."  
"Donald," I said then, "Do you happen to have a bit of healing magic to hand? I think I'm bleeding here."  
Aside from the magic itself, he didn't say a word. It wasn't nice to think that I'd just turned all three of them against me because of something necessary.  
"You owe them an explanation," Samantha murmured once Donald was done. "I'll make arrangements for rooms for each of you up in the fortress until you've explained. You're _not_ going to leave until you've done that."  
"If I have to leave, I'll find a way. I'm a werewolf, we're resourceful."  
"We? You're the only one left, how can you say we?"  
"Pack instinct," I shrugged. "Your Father left me stuck as a wolf for a long time, so I'm still thinking more like a wolf for now. It'll pass."  
She shook her head, seemed to calm herself a bit, then stood up and to the crowd, "Get out. You all take orders from me now, no matter what we are. Get back to what you're meant to be doing." There was silence as most, if not all, turned to her. "Now!" she snapped at them, and they finally began to clear. "You are going to come with us, and you're going to explain things to them, where I can keep an eye on you."  
"Alright." As I'd told her, I still thought more like a wolf, so this made perfect sense. There was no point in causing trouble by trying to get away, no reason to harm any of these people any longer or to hold a grudge. Wolves don't even have a word close to 'grudge'.

By the time the ex-vampires had cleared out and we'd returned to the fortress, it was already morning. Samantha lead us to a tower room, well furnished and fairly warm, unlike a lot of the rest of the place.  
You can imagine Kairi did not take my explanation well, particularly not after it showed up a number of the lies I'd had to tell. They were all taken by surprise to find the little wolf pup that saved them was also me, and when I told her about the time I went hunting with Kadach, it was kind of clear she didn't approve of what I'd done, but she didn't pass comment on it.  
I did not, however, mention Kathann or his Mother. I knew by the same pack instinct that it wasn't my place to tell them about either. There also seemed to be some restrictions still on me, as I couldn't speak of the ritual.  
In the end, when I'd finished explaining, the first words said were, "Why didn't you tell us?"  
"I couldn't," I told her. "Werewolves can't talk about it to anyone not of their kind... unless they already know, it seems."  
There was a knock at the door, and Samantha, not trusting me, answered it. I didn't hear what was said, but I did see her eyes widen just slightly. She stood aside to allow a man to enter. He wore similar clothing to me, but all in white, matched in his very long hair that streaked down his back. His eyes were red, not the blood-red of the vampires, but a bright red. I recognised it instantly, and gave him a respectful nod.  
"Kamaz," he greeted me, responding with his own nod. "I would not trouble you needlessly, but Mother wishes me to speak to you for Her. There is something She wishes me to discuss with you." Despite being human and speaking in the human tongue, there was still a very wolf-like formality about Kathann's speech, it was clear and crisp, and seemed to flow as if there was a kind of hidden beat and timing to it.  
"Kamaz?" Samantha murmured thoughtfully. "I've heard that name somewhere before."  
He glanced at her briefly, then to me asked, "May I address the lady?"  
Human social niceties did not come easily to him, so he had fallen back on the wolven customs. His request wasn't so much to ask to speak to her, as it was to ask me to wait. Wolves don't like interrupting a conversation, so when something like this happens, they ask permission to put the current one aside.  
I nodded, knowing what he meant and he turned back to her.  
"Kamaz is a name of great honour among the werewolves," he explained. "The name Kamaz was given to the very first werewolf, and has since been given to werewolves who have distinguished themselves above their kin. The second Kamaz who brought honour to the name negotiated a cease-fire with your kin a great time ago, and he-" he pointed at me, "- is the third Kamaz to honour the name."  
"By killing my father," she muttered with an edge to her voice.  
"It was an unavoidable necessity. May I return to address him?"  
She looked puzzled, so I explained, "He means is there anything else you want to ask him before he continues his conversation with me."  
"Oh. Yeah... I guess."  
Kamaz looked uncomfortable for a moment, then said, "What I must say is not easy to speak of in this way. I would speak with you as one wolf to another."  
"Don't be afraid," I said, to reassure them, then became a wolf. Samantha turned away, muttering something under her breath.  
Kathann followed my lead, becoming the great white wolf I remembered.  
"I would ask that you do not speak of the deception I have just caused," he told me. "It was also necessary. They must not know what we speak of."  
"What is it that we must speak of?"  
"Your pack-" meaning Kairi, Donald and Goofy this time "-has turned against you for what you have done."  
"I have noticed this in them."  
"This cannot be. There is much that you have yet to do alongside them, and they must be with you for it."  
"One could speak with them about what I have done and explain."  
"Was it not her intention to have you explain to them? They do not appear changed by it. Mother wishes me to give you a different solution."  
"I would hear the solution of her."  
"The ritual must take place tonight. They must be present at the time of the ritual."  
"May I ask why that must be?"  
"Mother will gently remove from their minds the knowledge that has disturbed their friendship and turn them aside from their enmity. In doing this, it shall be as it was before, and you will again be unable to tell them."  
"Must it be so?" This simple statement conveyed to him why I didn't want it to be this way. Despite their reactions, I felt better for getting it all out the way and telling them the truth. This would set it back again, and I'd chafe at those restrictions again.  
"It must be so," he confirmed. "You must have them with you when you perform the ritual tonight."  
"They may not wish to come."  
"Then you must make them come. Leave to the north and enter the forest there. You will know where to go then."  
Then he became the human again, ending the conversation. Just before I changed back as well, I noticed that he was distinctly uncomfortable that way. I got the impression that this was the first time he'd ever tried to appear human, and he didn't seem sure how to take it.  
"I will see you tonight, Kamaz," Kathann told me with another nod, and then he left.  
"If I let you back in," Samantha muttered.  
"He isn't coming back in," I told her. "I've got to go out to meet him."  
"You're _not_ leaving my fortress."  
"I don't have a choice. He's given me a command; I can't ignore it."  
"What gives him the authority to command you?"  
"He is above me in the social structure of the werewolves, even if I'm the only one. He isn't entirely what he seemed to be." That was about all I dared say. I hesitated before adding, "He did say that you three could come with me."  
"Where will we be going?"  
"North, into the forest."  
"That forest isn't safe," Samantha warned. "Even we never went into there unless we had to. Sometimes people from the town ran into there to get away from us. They never came back."  
"It'll be a lot less safe for anyone else once I get there. I've got the keyblade, and I've got the same gift every other werewolf has ever had."  
"Gift!" she snorted.  
"Just because you saw your side of it as a curse doesn't mean we have to look at our side the same way."  
"Sora," Kairi asked suddenly. "Did you miss anything out when you were telling us everything?"  
"I might have. I did try to cover everything. Why?"  
"When I saw you just now, when you were a wolf... I think I saw you, or a wolf like you."  
"When?"  
"It was before the town got attacked. You were missing, and the wolf came to me in your room."  
"Ah, yeah. That's me. I guess I forgot to mention that."  
She hesitated, then quietly said, "Thanks for that night. You were really warm."  
"It's the fur. We stay warm easily."  
"Could you... maybe stay with me like that again until we leave tonight?" It was her way of offering peace between us I guess. I felt a little guilty knowing that come tomorrow, she probably wouldn't remember it.  
It was nice to do it again though.


	19. Chapter 19

Early that evening, I left the town, for the first and only time not just in the company of my friends, but with the knowledge that they knew what I was.  
Samantha, though still upset with me, provided us with a horse cart to get us there quicker. The horse was skittish, but that's only natural. I do have a strong scent of wolves about me, and horses have good reason to be afraid of wolves.  
The one who guided the horse had been, until recently, a vampire. He was clearly afraid of me still. I guess I can't blame him. He dropped us at the edge of the forest and told us he'd been given orders to return immediately. I guess we'd have to make our own way back.  
This forest was markedly different from the pack's forest. For one thing, the trees didn't so much climb to reach the sky as they did claw, seeming to push each other aside. There was far less undergrowth, and few tracks – and those tracks that were here had large prints that gave the impression of bigness in the owner. Flatter ground, fewer rocks... I also knew this forest had absolutely no contact with the pack's one. Why had Kathann chosen here?  
Despite still not being entirely comfortable around me, the others stayed close all the same.  
We were attacked once in that forest. A huge bear, seemingly rabid came out of nowhere. Big as it was, I was bigger it after I changed to the hybrid form and shoved it roughly to the forest floor. It struggled, but I held firm. It was completely rabid, and wasn't going to let up or be scared off, so with a little hesitation – Kairi was watching, after all – I had to finish it off, and the quickest way to do it was to crunch down on the back of it's neck.  
"Is it... dead?" she asked after I changed back.  
I nodded, "There wasn't any other way."  
"Sora." I turned to face her. She looked curious. "Grin at me." Odd request, but... she sighed when I did. "At least if you have to do this, you could clean your teeth afterwards. You've got blood over them."  
Just like Kairi to notice something like that and chide me over it. I quickly attended to that before we continued on.  
We didn't see Kathann at all, but as we went on I realized he didn't need to. The forest gradually faded from what Goofy insisted on calling the Vampire Forest to the greener and rougher terrains that had once been the pack's home grounds. It seemed to avoid the remains of the grounds, and eventually we came out on that rocky precipice where the ritual happened. Kathann was not there, but there was someone there. He had no scent, and wore heavy plate armour, burnished to a bright white.  
He stood looking out over the forest below, in the same spot I'd have to be to carry out the ritual.  
"Who is he?" Donald asked.  
"I don't know," I replied.  
"You're early, Kulim," the stranger said. No one had called me by that name since before the attack.  
"You know my name?"  
"Kathann told me. I come here just before the ritual takes place. It's become a kind of ritual for me since he started watching over us."  
"You're a werewolf too."  
"Was, Kulim, was. Do you know who I was?"  
"You're Kamaz, aren't you? The first one, I mean."  
"And the first werewolf too. I've been watching you. You did a great honour to my name."  
"I thought you were Kamaz?" Kairi asked me.  
"It's passed on to the werewolf champion, whoever that happens to be, in his honour," I answered.  
"There's another reason I'm here tonight, of course," he went on, finally turning to face me. He had the kind of face that couldn't look anything but... well, kind... it seemed to have an almost permanent smile to it. "Your fight isn't over."  
"But I killed him. They all got turned back to humans."  
"No," he shook his head. "He managed to pull one last trick. He didn't have to wait for them to get to the fortress. He had his vampires go out and turn a huge amount of unimportant humans, told them a highly biased version of what happened to incense them against you, and then sent them in. Very few of the vampires that already existed were actually there."  
"So... I've still got that oath to fulfil."  
"You made good on that oath. You brought down the one man with enough power to unify the vampires. They've split into many warring factions now, and none of their leaders have been around for long enough to gain that same power. They'll fight among themselves, and do anything to stop another getting close to it, then in turn be taken down by others seeking to do the same to them. You've done the hard part." He glanced up to the clouded sky. "It's almost time. May your strength never wane," he said in an ancient wolven platitude, then he faded out.  
"What's this ritual he talked about?"  
"I told you earlier when I was explaining."  
"It didn't make any sense."  
"Why didn't you say anything? I could have explained again. It goes like this. Luna – the moon to you – is what lets me be what I am. The ritual is the way we pay our respects, and ask for it to let us keep on being werewolves. There's more to it than that, but it'll start soon. I have to be a wolf for this, and you need to wait here." I took Kamaz' place, and paused just before I changed form. "You'll be the first people ever to see this that aren't werewolves," I told them, then changed.  
You already know what happens, so I won't go into all of it.  
When Kathann appeared, his Mother was there also this time. As far as I know, that had never happened before, even once.  
"You have done well," She told me in flawless wolven. "I knew you were capable of the task at hand."  
"Then why did you try to stop me?"  
"Would you have been as insistent if I had not?"  
What could I say to that?  
"Some of them survived," I told Her instead. She probably knew – She was a God, after all. It broke the topic to her though.  
"Be not concerned for that. You have achieved what was required of you."  
"What of the consequences you told me of?"  
"Has the reaction you receive for your actions not been consequence enough?"  
"One can make up with the friends."  
"But not easily. I would give you an offer, if you would hear it."  
"What is it?"  
"The task of the werewolves is complete. They have no further task of reason to exist, and when there are too few of a kind left when that happens, I allow them to fade out of existance. I should be doing that right now."  
"But-" I started, but she waved me into silence.  
"Though it is a curse comparable to that of the one that caused the existance of the vampires, I would ask you to keep that curse, and in exchange I will restore your friends to the innocence they had before they witnessed you complete your task."  
Now I understood. She had to balance things, and if I showed any sign of wanting this, it would seem like two things for me, and not one to counter the other. At last I understood why she insisted that this was a curse to bear and not a gift.  
"I will bear your curse in exchange for that," I told her, playing along.  
"Then bear through the night with their knowledge, and when they awaken, it will be done."  
"Are you done, Mother?" Kathann asked, sat patiently waiting. "Our time has almost passed."  
"Of course. You may not see me again, Sora," she told me, this time in the human tongue, "But know that I am always watching your actions. Live well, Last of the Werewolves."  
She vanished, and Kathann and I completed the ritual.  
That night, we camped in the woods, and when we woke up, I saw that She had kept her word. Our campsite had been made to resemble the one that had been made just after the loss of the pack, and none of them had any memory of the morning after that previous camp up until now. They firmly believed that this was the morning after that terrible day, and once more had no idea what I was.

It's been a few months since then. Occasionally I still run across the odd vampire, and I take up the ancient fight once more. I try to avoid it when I can't get away from my friends to deal with them, and every once in a while I sneak off to go take out a few more. It keeps them off guard, and reminds them that I'm still here, and that I still haven't forgiven them for what I took from Samantha.  
I pay a call on her from time to time. Like those who are still vampires, she knows what I am. I can talk about it with her, but she still resents what had to be done, so I don't call on her too often. We're friendly, but it's very difficult for her to put aside what I did.  
Since no one else knows, it doesn't give me many times to be a wolf again. Every once in a while, I sneak off and just enjoy it again. I love to run as a wolf, and even though Kairi didn't exactly approve of it when she knew, I still hunt from time to time as well.  
Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of always hunting in the same place, and some local residents started to notice. We actually got asked to investigate 'strange attacks on local wildlife' not too long ago because of that. You've no idea how difficult it was to try not to seem like I knew. I tried to push people off the trail that it was a wolf doing it, but I've since had to try and find somewhere else to hunt to let things subside.  
I still observe the ritual, of course. Kathann and I sometimes have some wide-ranging conversations, not that they solve anything. Once in a while he comes to visit me instead, trying to be human again. He sticks out like a sore thumb when he does, and he's terrible when meeting someone new, but I've been trying to get him over that. I don't think he really understands humans, but having seen it from the wolven point of view I can see why it's so difficult for him.

What will happen now? I'll probably go on the same way I always have, and keep on doing what I do best, occasionally taking on the odd vampire, and keeping my secret. At least this way, I know some of you know. If you ever happen to run across me, go ahead and stop for a bit – it'll give me a chance to talk with someone a bit more normal who also knows, not a God or an ex-vampire.  
Well, that's pretty much it. Now you know the whole tail – tale, sorry. If you think I've missed something, just say so. I'm pretty sure I got all of it though.


End file.
